Safer streets pilot

Unmesh Desai: How many reports have you received through the Safer Streets pilot in London? Are resources already being deployed to places that have been flagged through the app?

The Mayor: The ‘Street Safe’ application has now received a total of 6,895 reports, of which the MPS accounts for 20% (1,400). The numbers of reports are increasing on a daily basis.
Every BCU has a ‘Street Safe’ lead who has been tasked to act as a link between the reporting tool and the Neighbourhood Policing Teams. The BCU review data and work in partnership with key partners to understand identified hotspots, undertaking activity to tackle the highlighted issues. The data is also linked into the BCU profiles for violence against women and girls (VAWG) to ensure as rich a picture as possible to inform MPS activity.

Deployable Enforcement Camera cost

Siân Berry: What will be the cost of your forthcoming Deployable Enforcement Camera (DEC) programme, per installation?

The Mayor: Deployable Enforcement Cameras will play a vital part in helping Transport for London to meet its Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury on the road network by helping enforce traffic rules at junctions – where 76 per cent of collisions on our roads occur.
The cost of Deployable Enforcement Cameras, per installation, is approximately £40,000. This cost includes the camera hardware, all necessary site surveys and preparatory work, traffic management, digital storage, hosting and system support.

Registered Providers take up of affordable homes on smaller schemes

Siân Berry: I am informed that some councils are having difficulty with the affordable housing requirement on smaller major schemes of around 25 to 80 homes, where a developer proposes to include affordable housing, but is unable to find a Registered Provider interested in acquiring these homes on a scheme of that size. This could mean lower affordable housing delivery, particularly in outer London, and risks undermining your Small Sites policy in the London Plan. Could you investigate this issue with Housing and Land colleagues and explore solutions with affordable housing providers to enable such schemes to come forward?

The Mayor: I understand that some registered providers are reluctant to acquire smaller affordable housing schemes from developers in London, where these homes are being delivered through planning obligations. My officers are working closely with partners to ensure this issue does not inhibit delivery of affordable housing in London.
I understand this reluctance may relate to concerns among registered providers about higher service charges on smaller schemes. My team will soon publish a new Charter for Service Charges, which should help to provide additional assurance to registered providers about the expected quality requirements and cost implications of service charges on new build schemes.
Additionally, Ihaveseveralactive programmes to support smaller schemes across London – noting that my London Plan defines small sites as any scheme below 0.25 hectares, which in practice often means sites up to 100 homes. For example, my Small Sites, Small Builders programme connects small builders, developers, registered providers and community groups with sites that are suitable for housing development.The GLA has also partnered with L&Q and established the Build London Partnership, which is supporting smaller housing providers to develop and oversee small schemes.

Helicopter deployments

Tony Devenish: Data from October 2018 to September 2020 shows of the 711 police helicopter deployments in Westminster, 320 were for Directed Patrols. What are directed patrols and what is the criteria for their use?

The Mayor: Directed patrols cover a range of operational deployments, from counter-terrorism patrols, proactive responses to crime, or to support to the activity of ground units.

Prevent referrals involving social media

Unmesh Desai: How many Prevent referrals in London in each of the last 4 years referenced concerning activity online by the person being referred? In those cases that did involve concerns over online activity, please advise what platform this activity was on e.g., Facebook, Reddit forums, Twitter, whatsapp messages.

The Mayor: Due to published Prevent statistics not specifying how many referrals have been received because of concerning activity online, Counter Terrorism Policing are unable to provide specific figures for this without looking at each individual case.

Proposed development by the City of London Corporation on Land at Sydenham Hill Estate, Sydenham Hill

Caroline Pidgeon: Are you awarethat current proposed11family houses on this development do not comply withBuilding Regulation M4 (2) access, which is asked for in the New London Plan, because the gradient is too great for safe use of a wheelchair?

The Mayor: This application is not referable to me under my planning powers. The Local Planning Authority is Lewisham Council, and it is for the council to determine the planning application and any enforcement matters that subsequently arise.
Policy D7 Accessible Housing in my London Plan requires at least 10 per cent of new build dwellings to meet Building Regulation requirement M4(3) ‘wheelchair user dwellings’, and all other dwellings to meet Building Regulation requirement M4(2) ‘accessible and adaptable dwellings’.

Cost to add a new pedestrian crossing to an existing junction

Siân Berry: What is the cost of adding a new pedestrian crossing to an existing signaled junction, such as the works undertaken on the north side of Battersea Bridge by Transport for London (TfL)?

The Mayor: A typical budget for a scheme such as the crossing at Battersea Bridge is approximately £0.5m - although some crossings are more or less than this depending on the factors described below.
There are a number of variables that affect the cost of adding a protected pedestrian crossing at an existing signalised junction. This includes the extent to which the crossing design impacts on utilities, the cost of road closures during construction, the age of the existing signal systems (which may require modernising), and the complexity and constraints of each site. Prior to delivery, modelling and optioneering is undertaken, with design costs typically comprising around 15 per cent of the total scheme cost. On occasion, Transport for London needs to introduce complementary schemes to mitigate the impact of a new crossing, for example to protect bus journey times.

Tackling Digital Exclusion

Anne Clarke: Will you consider bringing together internet providers and call on them to introduce social tariffs for broadband that are either free or genuinely affordable for older people? This should include adding Pension Credit as part of the eligibility criteria.

The Mayor: Please see my response toMayor’s Question 2021/4392.

Gypsy and traveller sites (1)

Andrew Boff: Will there be a standard way of reporting site conditions under the Boroughs’ duty to audit Gypsy and Traveller sites and pitches in the London Plan?

The Mayor: Like all Londoners, Gypsies and Travellers have a right to good quality accommodation, and it is important to tackle any poor standards which negatively impact the health and way of life of Gypsies and Travellers.
My London Plan 2021 Policy H14 Gypsy and Traveller accommodation requires boroughs to audit existing local authority provided Gypsy and Traveller sites and pitches. While Policy H14 does not require a standard way of reporting site conditions, boroughs are expected to work in partnership with residents to identify areas of overcrowding and potential extra capacity, and pitches in need of refurbishment and/or improved infrastructure (including utilities, open space and landscaping). Audits of sites could also include for example, accessibility, services and facilities, health and safety and maintenance and repairs.
Boroughs are required to plan to address issues identified from audits. My Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) includes funding for improving sites in need of refurbishment or for building new sites, with £1.74m allocated to remodel 37 pitches to date.

Gypsy and traveller sites (2)

Andrew Boff: Please list the state of assessment for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation by borough, indicating which need to update a post 2008 assessment and those that need to undertake a new one.

The Mayor: In line with London Plan 2021 Policy H14 Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, GLA officers are carrying out a London-wide Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment (GTANA) to update the 2008 assessment, which will inform borough Local Plans.
Policy H14 requires boroughs to plan to meet identified need for permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches and include ten-year pitch targets in their Development Plan Documents. Boroughs that have not undertaken a needs assessment since 2008 should use the Gypsy and Traveller accommodation need figure in London Plan Table 4.4, until a needs assessment is undertaken as part of their Development Plan review process.
Boroughs that have undertaken a needs assessment since 2008 should update this as part of their Development Plan review process.
The GLA do not monitor the status of borough GTANAs. However, the table attached provides information that the GLA has on borough GTANAs.

The Mayor: MQ 2021_4459 accompanying table.pdf

Autumn Budget 2021

Marina Ahmad: What impact will the Autumn Budget 2021 have on the cost of living for Londoners?

The Mayor: Overall, the budget was disappointing and took London, and Londoners, for granted. Whilst Government announced some positive measures to help low-income households meet living costs, the majority are limited by the negative effects of other policies or are too short-term to be truly effective.
For example, the reduction to the Universal Credit taper rate will do nothing to offset the impact of the removal of the £20 uplift on the 600,000 London claimants who are not in, or unable to, work. Similarly, the increase to the National Minimum Wage will only benefit working households and doesn’t take into account higher costs in London. And the £500million hardship fund, whilst welcome, is too time-limited to allow councils to spend the money efficiently and reach those in most need.
If Government is serious about levelling up the most disadvantaged communities, they must provide more sustainable and effective support to those on the lowest incomes.

Police abstractions

Tony Devenish: For each ward in Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, and Hammersmith and Fulham, for each year from Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21, how many SNT officers were abstracted to police demonstrations?

The Mayor: A dashboard is published on the MOPAC website that shows when Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs) have been abstracted (DWO Abstraction Dashboard | London City Hall).
DWOs that have been abstracted to provide support to another part of London (e.g. to police demonstrations) are shown as ‘Aid’.

Offensive banners at football grounds

Unmesh Desai: How many banners displayed at football clubs have been investigated by the Met police in each of the last 4 years?

The Mayor: The only investigation into a banner at a football match that has been led by the MPS in the last four years is a recent incident at the Crystal Palace versus Newcastle game at Selhurst Park on 23 October 2021. This was assessed not to be a crime and not investigated further.
The MPS will review offensive banners or placards displayed in any environment, including football stadia, and if the material displayed is in breach of the law, will take action against the perpetrators. They will also review photographic or video evidence sent to them by anyone reporting the display of offensive material.
The National Police Chiefs' Council is leading on an approach to all 92 football league clubs to explore how to combat racism and other offensive or discriminatory behaviour in football grounds and online. The MPS will take on board any guidance that comes out of those discussions.

Commemoration of Windrush Generation Nurses and NHS Workers

Onkar Sahota: Through your Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, will you consider funding a memorial to the nurses and healthcare workers who came to support London’s NHS from the Windrush Generation?

The Mayor: As Mayor, I'm committed to ensuring that the capital’s population and history are celebrated and commemorated, and the Windrush Generation are an important part of this.
My £1 million grants programme, Untold Stories, offers an exciting opportunity to create something new, highlight something missing or hidden, or present a different story to what already exists.
The Commission has helped fund the first comprehensive audit of London’s public sculpture and monuments - part of national research by Art UK. This audit highlighted the important sculpture of Mary Seacole at St Thomas’ Hospital and the Windrush & Commonwealth NHS Nurses and Midwives Statue which was unveiled outside Whittington Health Trust in North London earlier this year.
This research also starkly shows that our public spaces need to be more representative of Londoners. My fund will enable local people to make positive changes in their communities by beginning to tell the stories that are meaningful to them.

Rogue Landlord Register (2)

Sem Moema: How are you continuing to promote the Rogue Landlord Register to Londoners?

The Mayor: My team directs renters to the Rogue Landlord Checker, Report a Rogue Tool and the Property Licensing Checker whenever a WriteOn is received from a member of the public with concerns about their property conditions, landlord or agent. Details about the Checker also feature on the webpages of multiple external agencies, including Shelter.
Throughout the pandemic, the Checker and Reporting Tool featured in the advice for renters on the Mayor of London webpage and were promoted in all press relating to my concerns about renters facing eviction.
My team regularly engages and encourages boroughs in my Private Rented Sector Partnership to explore options to expand and better promote the Checker to further empower renters, particularly vulnerable renters, and support local enforcement against rogue landlords and letting agents.

VAWG prevention work

Unmesh Desai: How many night-time economy venues e.g., pubs, bars, nightclubs have the Met Police contacted to raise awareness of how they can help tackle behaviours in their premises to keep women safe and feeling safe? If possible please provide details of those venues that have been contacted.

The Mayor: The MPS and City Hall are working together to engage with licensed premises about their role in helping to keep women and girls safe in London. Due to the sheer number of licensed venues in London, the MPS do not collect figures on the specific VAWG engagements. Local licensing teams regularly engage with premises in their area and provide information on the safety of women and girls, as well as offering the Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training. In addition, the MPS supports local pub watch and similar schemes to ensure best practice. Over 600 venues have now signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter which sets out guidance for venues, operators, charities, councils and businesses to improve safety at night for women - including better training of staff, encouraging the reporting of harassment and ensuring public spaces are safe.

Overcrowding and Under Occupancy (1)

Sem Moema: Are you able to provide a breakdown by borough as to how many properties are overcrowded?

The Mayor: The most recent local authority level data on overcrowding comes from the 2011 Census, and is published by the Office for National Statistics here. For data on the number of overcrowded households, see table LC4108EW.
More recent data from the 2021 census will be released next year.

Overcrowding and Under Occupancy (2)

Sem Moema: Are you able to provide a breakdown by borough as to how many properties are under occupied?

The Mayor: The most recent local authority level data on under occupation comes from the 2011 Census, and is published by the Office for National Statistics here. For data on the number of under occupied households, see table LC4108EW.
More recent data from the 2021 census will be released next year.

Overcrowding and Under Occupancy (3)

Sem Moema: How are you supporting Londoners to “rightsize” into the correct size home to help reduce both overcrowding and under occupancy?

The Mayor: My Housing Moves programme enables social housing tenants of London’s councils and housing associations to move from one part of the capital to another, and gives the highest priority to tenants that are currently under occupying their home and are willing to move. Similarly, my Seaside & Country Homes programme offers social housing tenants aged 55 or above the opportunity to move to suitable homes in nearby regions, with greater priority again given to those whose moves would free up family homes for overcrowded Londoners.
My policies to increase the overall supply of housing, particularly affordable housing, will also increase choice and help more Londoners find a suitable home.
Finally, my new London Plan asks boroughs, for the first time, to set out size mix requirements for social housing in their local policies based on evidence of local needs. This policy will help ensure that new social housing contributes more effectively to tackling overcrowding and under occupancy.

Public protection improvement plan

Unmesh Desai: Please provide a copy of the Met Police Public protection improvement plan.

The Mayor: The Executive Summary and the Introduction to the Public Protection Improvement Plan are attached.Due to the operational and tactical nature of the Plan it would not be appropriate to provide further detail.

The Mayor: MQ 4662 -Public Protection Improvement Plan - September 2021.pdf

Key Worker Definition

Sem Moema: When can we expect your definition of Key Workers to be outlined? Which occupations can we expect to be included?

The Mayor: The GLA's definition of key workers will be published soon. The definition will be based on occupations that are considered essential to the functioning of London in normal times and where there is a requirement for an employee to be anchored at their workplace in London to carry out their role. Income caps define eligibility for intermediate housing within the London Plan and will apply to key workers as they do to all Londoners.

Affordable Housing Delivery

Sem Moema: Are you anticipating any disruption to your plans to deliver affordable housing this winter? If so, how are you going to combat this? Last year Quarter 4 was where most housing starts were.

The Mayor: We are not anticipating any disruption to plans to deliver affordable housing this winter. Other than the usual seasonal close down for the holiday season construction will continue as normal.

Construction Workers

Sem Moema: As mentioned in MQ 2021/4293, there is a 43% vacancy rate in the construction industry and there are concerns that the average age of a construction worker is over 50. What actions are you taking to encourage more young people in London to become construction workers?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) hubs engage schools through activities such as virtual work experience, careers fairs and employer visits to increase young people’s understanding of the range of careers available in the construction sector.
The Workforce Integration Network (WIN) delivers interventions to create employment opportunities in construction for young Black men aged 16-24 and other young Londoners under-represented in the sector through school engagement, employability-related activities, jobs fairs, events and resources.
The London Enterprise Adviser Network (LEAN) connects schools and colleges with employers, including from the construction sector, to highlight construction career pathways. Encouraging young people into construction will continue to be a focus under the new Career Hubs which are due to launch shortly.
In addition, the Young Londoners Fund supports a number of area-based projects such as Construction Youth Trust in LB Barking & Dagenham, which enables young people at risk of exclusion or criminal activity to engage with employers and gain construction experience via community-based projects.

Rogue Landlord Register (1)

Sem Moema: To date, how many website views have there been on the Rogue Landlord Register? Is it possible to break this down by year?

The Mayor: Since its launch in December 2017, The Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker website has received 305,490 unique page views. This is broken down as follows:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the number of unique page views. Fewer renters will have used the Checker during the period that the public were told to stay at home and not move between tenancies. In addition, the supply of homes to rent in London has decreased following the pandemic. Increasing competition for homes results in renters making fewer checks on prospective landlords.

Provision of step-free crossing at Kew Garden Station

Nicholas Rogers: What work has so far been undertaken in securing step-free access at Kew Garden Station and what are the future plans?

The Mayor: Kew Gardens station already hasstep-free access from street to each platform. Manual Boarding Ramps are available for customers who require assistance with the gap between the train and the platform.

Green Person Authority Pedestrian Crossings

Neil Garratt: In August I asked the Mayor about the lack of consultation or communication with road users about the “green person authority” pedestrian crossings, which show a red traffic light even when there are no pedestrians. The Mayor replied “The pilot ends this summer and so they are coming towards an end.” As of the 8th November the pilot has not ended. What is the end date for this trial and does the Mayor consider November to be a summer month?

The Mayor: TfL’s initial findings have shown that the Green Person Authority trial has had a positive effect for people walking, without detriment to buses and other traffic. A decision has been made to keep the Green Person Authority sites operational until the report recommendations are finalised.
During this trial, survey data was collected at crossings both before and after installation. It is this information that will form the basis of the trial conclusions report, which TfL had hoped to publish at the end of the summer.
Unfortunately, due to some challenges faced by TfL’s supplier of road disruption data, this work has been delayed. However, the outcomes of the safety review and operational performance data are now being analysed.
This analysis will feed into a trial conclusions report, which TfL now expects to complete by the end of the year.

Knife Crime in Harrow

Krupesh Hirani: How many knife crime incidents have been recorded in Harrow in each of the last five years?

The Mayor: The requested information is published by the Metropolitan Police Service as part of their ‘Hate Crime or Special Crime Dashboard’ - https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/hate-crime-dashboard/ with the underlying data available via the London Data Store - https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/mps-hate-crime-or-special-crime-dashboard-data.

Social Care Good Work Standard

Emma Best: Do you know how many social care agencies and workers are there in London, and how many of them are signed up to your Good Work Standard?

The Mayor: As per my previous answer, according to the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)*, there were a total of 178,000 employee jobs in residential care and social work activities in London in April 2021, with at least 25-30% of these jobs paying below the London Living Wage rate of £10.85/hour. This compares to a London average (across all industries) of 17%.
There are two Good Work Standard-accredited social care agencies: Penrose Care and Silver Birch Care. I call on all social care employers to pursue Good Work Standard accreditation.

Social Care London Living Wage

Emma Best: Do you know how many social care agencies and workers are there in London, and how many of them pay the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: According to the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)*, there were 178,000 employee jobs in residential care and social work activities in April 2021 in London, with at least 25-30% of these jobs paying below the London Living Wage rate of £10.85/hour. The London average across all industries is 17%.
There are 29 care organisations in London accredited by the Living Wage Foundation. All are small or medium size enterprises with fewer than 250 employees. There are also accredited local authorities in London that commission care through third-party providers, where workers are in receipt of the Living Wage as a contract requirement. For example, Newham Council has uplifted 1,900 care staff to the real Living Wage.
The London as a Living Wage City Region programme will seek to understand pay in the social care sector in more detail and take actions to increase uptake of the Living Wage.
* ASHE only counts employee jobs held by individuals aged 18+. It does not cover the self-employed, nor does it cover employees not paid during the reference period.

Kerslake Review

Andrew Boff: How will the Kerslake Review (on housing delivery) be conducted and who will it take evidence from?

The Mayor: I’ve commissioned Lord Bob Kerslake to review how the GLA Group could further improve and streamline housing delivery to deliver the affordable housing that Londoners so desperately needs.
The Kerslake Review is being conducted independently. However, I understand that Lord Kerslake intends to take evidence from a broad range of stakeholders to inform the review.
These include senior leaders from across the GLA Group – including GLA Land and Property, MOPAC, the London Fire Commissioner, TfL, LLDC and OPDC, as well as senior leaders from the GLA Housing & Land and Good Growth teams.
I understand that Lord Kerslake will be meeting with Assembly Members via the Housing Committee.

Workforce Integration Network (1)

Krupesh Hirani: How many people have been supported through the Workforce Integration Network (WIN)
programme so far?

The Mayor: The Workforce Integration Network (WIN) was designed to address workplace inequalities by driving systemic change, working with businesses to make policies and practices more inclusive. In its first phase it has focused on the underrepresentation of young Black men in the technology and construction sectors.
WIN has engaged more than 250 businesses to date. Through the intensive year-long Design Labs, 20 leading infrastructure and construction businesses have committed to test solutions to some of the key diversity and inclusion challenges faced by the sector. These businesses represent a combined workforce of over 100,000, excluding their supply chains. I will be launching the third Design Lab later this month focused on the technology sector. WIN has also engaged with more than 2,000 young people through career events and workshops. WIN has recently launched its largest employability programme, aiming to engage 620 young Black men over the coming year.

Fare Evasion (1)

Tony Devenish: Please update the Assembly on how much money was lost via fare evasion at every London Underground Station for each month over the last year.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) estimates fare evasion and revenue loss on London Underground through surveys undertaken by revenue control inspectors. However, due to social distancing measures introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, all surveying activity was paused.Consequently, information on revenue loss associated with fare evasion over the last year cannot be provided.TfL is reviewing the way fare evasion and revenue loss is measured to enhance the data collected and make TfL’s estimates more robust. This may include building on new technologies such as the Irregular Travel Analysis Platform (ITAP), which is able to detect some instances of fare evasion remotely.

Fare Evasion (2)

Tony Devenish: Which were the ten worst stations on the Tube for fare evasion over the last year?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/4585.

Fare Evasion (3)

Tony Devenish: What measures has TfL put in place to crackdown on fare evasion over this time?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has a comprehensive pan-TfL Revenue Protection Programme in place to drive improvements in tackling fare evasion and ticket fraud. This includes developing its Irregular Travel Analysis Platform (ITAP) to improve intelligence-led deployment, targeting improvements to gateline integrity, strengthening prosecutions and tightening ticketing procedures to ensure customers pay the right fare.
Every mode has a dedicated team of Revenue Inspectors in place to tackle fare evasion and ticket fraud through proactive ticket checking and investigation of irregularities.However, during the last year, in response to the pandemic, these staff were focused on restoring confidence in public transport and keeping customers safe by enforcing face coverings and providing reassurance.Revenue Inspectors are now back to full revenue protection activity. On London Underground, capacity to tackle fare evasion is being bolstered by the introduction of new Revenue Control Officers, who are being recruited and trained over the coming months.
TfL has also explored a number of technological and design solutions to prevent and better detect fare evasion. These have been paused due to TfL’s current financial situation.

Double glazing (1)

Tony Devenish: What proportion of London’s social rented homes currently do not have double glazing? In view of the climate emergency, will you encourage social landlords to retrofit double glazing into all remaining properties as soon as possible?

The Mayor: According to the 2017 English Housing Survey, around 15% of social rented homes in London have entirely or largely single-glazed windows. I recently announced a package of measures including a new £3.5m centre of excellence to help social housing providers access funding for retrofit, and a new partnership deal to deliver large-scale low-carbon upgrades to the capital’s social housing.

Double glazing (2)

Tony Devenish: In view of the climate emergency, will you encourage local planning authorities to take a constructive and helpful approach to double glazing in listed buildings wherever possible? Would this also be added to the next version of the London Plan or forthcoming London Plan Guidance?

The Mayor: I encourage all London local planning authorities to take a constructive and helpful approach in all planning matters, including finding the best solution for improving thermal efficiency in listed buildings to reduce their energy use and help tackle the climate emergency. Double glazing is one of several potential solutions to improve thermal efficiency in a listed building and determining if it is an acceptable approach will depend on the details of each individual case.
Specific London guidance on this issue is not considered necessary given that Historic England have produced extensive guidance on energy efficiency and historic buildings, which includes detailed advice on improving the thermal performance of windows (see Windows and Doors in Historic Buildings | Historic England).

Population Churn

Tony Devenish: How are you planning and responding to London's population churn?

The Mayor: Population churn is a normal urban phenomenon influenced by both positive factors such as economic opportunities and negative factors such as lack of access to affordable housing.
London has always shown higher levels of churn - as a measure of population mobility - than other areas of the country. This reflects migration to the city to take advantage of employment and education opportunities, as well as high rates of onward moves out from or across the capital.
My London Plan 2021 accounts for both population growth and churn. It aims also to address negative factors that may impact churn in terms of ensuring a socially integrated and sustainable city; delivering genuinely affordable homes alongside supporting infrastructure; providing new economic opportunities for communities; and driving environmental improvements.
Whilst the pandemic has no doubt had an impact on London’s population there is not yet enough data to allow for conclusions to be drawn around long term impacts. Assumptions around population growth and change that underpin the London Plan will continue to be monitored alongside the Plan itself.

Cannabis factories

Nicholas Rogers: Further to my previous question 2021/2913, please give updated figures for each borough for each year, Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: MQ 2021_4540 Cannabis factories.xlsx

Safer Neighbourhood Team (1)

Krupesh Hirani: How many Safer Neighbourhood Team Sergeants, PCs and PCSOs are currently not serving front line roles on medical grounds in Brent?

The Mayor: There are fewer than 10 PCs, Sergeants and PCSOs currently restricted from full operational duties in Brent.
As a result of these very low numbers further details cannot be disclosed as it would risk identifying individuals.

South West London SNT abstractions

Nicholas Rogers: For each SNT in South West London, please provide the number of hours officers have been ‘abstracted’ to other duties, e.g. policing demonstrations. Please provide this data every year from 2016.

The Mayor: A dashboard is published on the MOPAC website that shows when Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs) have been abstracted (DWO Abstraction Dashboard | London City Hall).
DWOs that have been abstracted to provide support to another part of London are shown as ‘Aid’.

Greater London Investment Fund (2)

Neil Garratt: What is your assessment of the growth rate of businesses supported by the Greater London Investment fund?

The Mayor: The Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) https://glif.cowas established in 2019 to make recyclable investments in innovative, high-growth businesses, as well as those aiming for long-term sustainability. Some of the companies that received finance from GLIF were inevitably affected by the economic impact of Covid, especially those more reliant on retail activity.
However, as economic recovery from the pandemic progresses, GLIF’s fund managers report an overall increase in the growth projections of businesses (particularly driven by the high-growth companies); and this is supported by the overall portfolio value and the number of jobs being created.

Bike thefts

Nicholas Rogers: For each year, Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21, how many bicycle thefts were committed in the South West BCU, broken down if possible by each parliamentary constituency covering this area?

The Mayor: This information is published by the Metropolitan Police Service as part of their ‘Crime Dashboard’ - https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/crime-data-dashboard/ with the underlying data available via the London Data Store - https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/mps-monthly-crime-dahboard-data. This includes borough and safer neighbourhood team level information.

Publicity about engineering works by TfL and Network Rail

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you ensure that any communication and publicity about the TfL and Network Rail engineering closures taking place at the same time that will prevent rail and London Underground access to Heathrow on Boxing Day 2021 are activated as soon as possible so as to give passengers reasonable advance notice?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has started to run an extensive communications campaign to let customers and stakeholders know which services are running throughout the festive period, coordinated with Network Rail and other operators.
TfL’s travel advice webpage for the festive period was launched in October, including details of planned works affecting access to Heathrow Airport.This includes information on the alternative coach services arranged by TfL, which will run every five minutes between Hammersmith and Heathrow, to help customers get to and from the airport on 26 December.
From mid-November, TfL increased its customer communications including planning tools, emails, posters, social media and marketing to help customers understand how they can get where they need to go over the festive period.
TfL and Network Rail are meeting regularly with Heathrow Airport officials to make sure travel information is distributed widely, including to those booked to fly into the airport over the Christmas period, via Heathrow’s communications and those of the airlines.

Cinema Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sakina Sheikh: Further to 2021/1811, does the GLA know many cinemas have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The Mayor: London is a global capital for film production and our cinemas are a huge draw for Londoners and tourists alike, but the last two years have been incredibly challenging for the whole industry.
My expanded Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office has supported over 850 businesses since March 2020, including independent cinemas.
In 2019, I launched the first ever Cultural Infrastructure Plan and Map for London which records numbers of cultural venues and facilities and sets out what is needed to protect and grow them. This data enabled my team to respond to the crisis with a £2.3 million Culture at Risk Business Support Fund, which supported over 125 businesses, including £166,000 to 15 independent cinemas. 

The impact of the pandemic on the cultural sector is expected to be felt for some time. A data update to the Cultural Infrastructure Map is currently underway which will help us to analyse changes in London’s world-leading cultural infrastructure, including cinema numbers. This will be released in spring of next year.

Inconsistencies in fares

Caroline Pidgeon: I have been contacted by a constituent who raises the issue of inconsistencies in fares. As an example he quotes that a journey from Parsons Green to Shepherd Bush via West Brompton entirely in Zone 2 at peak is £1.70and off peak is £1.50.In contrast the journey from Parsons Green to Willesden Junction via West Brompton entirely in Zone 2 has a peak fare of £3.00 and off peak £2.50. What steps is TfL taking to address these anomalies?

The Mayor: The fare from Parsons Green to Willesden Junction via West Brompton is £1.70 peak and £1.50 off-peak.
The peak £3.00 and off-peak £2.50 fares are those charged for journeys via zone 1 (for example, District line from Parsons Green to Paddington and Bakerloo line from Paddington to Willesden Junction).
In order for the system to know that a customer has only travelled in Zone 2, customers taking this route need to touch on a pink card reader at West Brompton to show that their journey avoids Zone 1. Doing so ensures they are charged the cheaper fare.
Pay As you Go (PAYG) fares and supporting information for specific journeys can be seen on the Single Fare Finder on Transport for London’s website: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder.

Number of dogs seized by the police

Susan Hall: For each year, Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21 how many dogs were seized by the Met?

The Mayor: The current system for recording seized dogs by the MPS was introduced in 2017 therefore accurate numbers are only available from November 2017 onwards. Available information is provided below:

Embodied carbon in construction (2)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/4093. By what date do you expect to develop and implement appropriate targets for reducing embodied carbon emissions in construction in London?

The Mayor: Having introduced my pioneering Whole Life-Cycle Carbon policy in the London Plan earlier this year I am now requiring all referable developments to calculate and reduce embodied carbon for the first time.
I am now committed to doing all that I can to successfully implement this new and innovative policy in London and I will need every part of the construction sector to play its role too. I am reviewing the benchmarks that developments are expected to meet as we prepare the final version of the WLC assessment guidance. The data we gather through implementation of the current policy will be crucial to inform any future targets that we would propose as part of a new or revised London Plan.
We also need national government to take embodied carbon emissions seriously by introducing regulation so that industry can develop the skills and supply chains needed to achieve these targets.

Mayor's Cultural Leadership Board

Susan Hall: What has the Mayor's Cultural Leadership Board achieved since 2017?

The Mayor: The Cultural Leadership Board is a statutory Board whose function is to help shape my Culture Strategy, steer delivery of my policy pledges, and keep me and my Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries abreast of issues facing the creative industries and culture sector.
The Board helped develop my Culture Strategy, ‘Culture for All Londoners’; the most ambitious Culture Strategy of any Mayor to date, which the London Assembly approved in December 2018. Since then, the Board has convened regularly to keep the strategy under review and give strategic advice on programmes and policies.
The Board has offered important guidance to help set up and run flagship programmes including London Borough of Culture and Creative Enterprise Zones. Members’ shared intelligence on the needs of the creative sector in the devastating wake of the pandemic, particularly its impact on the creative workforce. This helped to shape projects including the expanded remit of my Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office and Creative Freelancers: Shaping London’s Recovery project.

History Matters Project

Tony Devenish: How has your Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm engaged with the Policy Exchange’s History Matters Project?

The Mayor: The Commission aims to produce best practice guidance, created through consultation with the Commissioners, Partners Board, Borough Working Group and Londoners through community engagement.
To inform this guidance, the Commission is reviewing a range of policies supporting commissioning and heritage in the public realm. As part of this, the Commission is aware of the recent report and work of the Policy Exchange’s History Matters Project. The Commission will also continue to build on global learning and consultation with our network of international cities working on similar projects, including New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Bristol.

Mayor's Diaries

Tony Devenish: The last update to your published diaries was in April 2020. Why did this stop, and when will their publication be resumed?

The Mayor: Unlike any previous Mayor, my diary is published on a regular basis.The publication of my diaries online is currently up to date until April 2021. The next entry will cover the period May 2021 to November 2021 and will be available in due course.

Buy now, pay Later

Tony Devenish: Will you be making a submission to the Government’s "buy now pay later" proposed regulatory public consultation to protect financially insecure Londoners and will you use GLA resources to highlight this consultation to drive participation?

The Mayor: I was very pleased to see earlier this year that the Government accepted the recommendation from the Woolard Review to bring buy-now-pay-later products into regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Expert debt advice organisations such as StepChange and Citizens Advice played a critical role in representing the views of vulnerable consumers and feeding evidence of the detriment caused by buy-now-pay-later products into the Woolward Review. And organisations such as theirs are best placed to do so again for the current consultation which seeks views on, and evidence relating to, technical aspects of the proposed regulatory framework.
As such, I’ll explore what I can do to support or amplify the key asks from their submissions. I’ll also promote the consultation to other expert debt advice or policy organisations I’m working with the through the Robust Safety Net mission and encourage them to submit a response.

Structural racism in housing (1)

Siân Berry: The Joseph Rowntree briefing published in September 2021, What’s Causing Structural Racism in Housing?, highlights how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the structural inequalities Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities face in accessing affordable and secure homes. Are you aware of the briefing and, if so, what is your response to the issues it raises relating to London?

The Mayor: I agree with the report’s conclusions that “immigration policy, discriminatory rental legislation and social welfare policy are among the drivers of unequal housing outcomes for BAME communities”. I have consistently lobbied central government on all three areas highlighted, as previously detailed in my discussions with the Assembly.
The rough sleeping team is working hard to ensure continued provision of homelessness assistance to individuals with no recourse to public funds owing to their immigration status. I have opposed the Right to Rent policy from the outset and have been clear that it adversely affects non-UK nationals and Black, Asian and minority ethnicity Londoners. I have also consistently called for an end to the benefits cap, which particularly affects renters in London, and I continue to call for an end to the Bedroom Tax.

London Housing Panel (2)

Siân Berry: In your answer to question 2021/3614, you mention resuming the initiative whereby officers visit residents in new GLA-funded homes to hear feedback. What feedback will you be asking your housing team to collate in these visits, and how will you ensure that a representative cross-section of Londoners is interviewed, in the same way that the London Housing Panel is made up of a diverse membership?

The Mayor: The London at Home visits are designed to be flexible and enable us to engage with the people who benefit from our work and to gather feedback and insight to see the impact of the funding that we put in. Staff are provided with a range of suggested questions and are encouraged to ask both qualitative, quantitative and reflective questions. When engaging with our partners, we ask that the resident(s) we visit are as representative of the overall demography of the site as possible. We will be gathering data on demographics of residents visited and reviewing this at periods to ensure we are visiting a representative cross-section of Londoners, with more targeted visits arranged if necessary.

Causes of personal debt

Siân Berry: Through your debt advice services such as Debt Free London and the Advice in Community Settings Programme, have you undertaken any analysis on the sources of debt? Could you tell me what proportion of service users are seeking advice about housing debt compared with other sources of debt, and whether this proportion is increasing?

The Mayor: Debt Free London is a partnership of charities that provides free advice to Londoners with problem debt. The partnership is independent of the GLA, but we have previously supported it by providing top-up funding to allow its adviceline to operate 24/7 over the winter months. GLA officers work closely with Debt Free London to better understand the nature of problem debt across London.
In their 2021 annual report, which I wrote a foreword for, Debt Free London have analysed the main problem debts that their clients reported in 2020/21. 48% of clients reported rent arrears as a problem debt. This was the most common reason for debt, above council tax arrears (which 34% of clients reported), credit card bills (34%) and water bill arrears (26%).
A comparison with previous Debt Free London annual reports shows that the proportion of problem debts that are rent arrears has increased since 2019/20 (when rent arrears were 36.2% of all problem debts, under council tax debt) and 2018/19 (when rent arrears were at 34%, an equal proportion to council tax debt).

Structural racism in housing (2)

Siân Berry: Your Leadership 2025 programme, which aims to improve diversity in the housing sector, last updated The Altair Review in 2019. When will it next be updated and are you satisfied that the programme is having its intended effect? If not, what further action will you take to increase the number of staff from BAME backgrounds within the housing industry?

The Mayor: The Homes for Londoners Board received an update on the Leadership 2025 programme in September 2021. A paper containing the update is publicly available via the Board’s meeting papers on the london.gov.uk site.
Many Leadership 2025 alumni have entered senior leadership roles, board positions and other senior posts in the housing sector, indicating the Leadership 2025 programme is an effective way to support and empower Black, Asian and minority ethnic senior professionals to become sector leaders of the future. The GLA is committed to funding future cohorts of Leadership 2025.
In addition, the Mayor is taking various further actions to improve the housing sector’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) performance. The Mayor has introduced new funding requirements to the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26, requiring partners to meet five minimum standards and to begin to implement an EDI action plan within a year of having funding approved. The GLA Group is also driving change in the sector with its Responsible Procurement policy, embedding inclusive practices in £9.5bn of annual procurement spend.

Effect of differing retrofit requirements

Siân Berry: At the Housing Committee meeting on 20 July 2021, Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, informed us that your retrofit programmes are aiming for EPC Band B. The Government’s standard for retrofitting homes across England is to achieve EPC Band C. Are you concerned that building owners, particularly large landlords, will choose to focus any retrofit funding on homes outside London since the Government standard is easier to achieve, and what are you doing to prevent this?

The Mayor: Government’s target of EPC C only applies to fuel poor homes. There are currently no minimum standards in place for social housing or owner-occupied homes. My retrofit programmes do not set a specific target but seek to maximise the energy efficiency of homes taking into account the physical challenges of the building stock in London.
Only some London-based landlords have stock outside London. To mitigate against them focussing funding elsewhere, my Retrofit Accelerator – Homes ensures landlords receive the right level of support and access to retrofit funding. This level of support isn’t available outside of London and it is why we have been so successful in securing finance through recent government funding rounds.
I am further encouraging building owners to retrofit in London by putting in place easily accessible procurement and funding frameworks, such as my Innovation Partnership – which connects housing providers with UK building firms – and the Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund.

Preservation of trees in estate regeneration

Siân Berry: Your new funding guidance for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 does not require trees to be preserved wherever possible in redevelopment or infill plans. How will you avoid giving grants to developers who are planning estate regeneration that includes unnecessary tree loss and do you plan to amend this guidance or introduce new conditions in future funding programmes?

The Mayor: My new Affordable Homes Programme introduces high environmental standards for housing development, which go beyond building regulation requirements and will ensure sustainability is at the heart of new affordable homes in London.
As per my London Plan Policy G7, development proposals should ensure that, wherever possible, existing trees of value are retained. All developments of 10+ homes must meet relevant borough Urban Greening Factor (UGF) target scores or the interim scores in London Plan Policy G5. The UGF is a tool to evaluate the quality and quantity of urban greening and provides flexibility to enable an appropriate response to meeting local green infrastructure priorities and site-specific constraints. The UGF methodology means that where existing trees are retained, as part of semi-natural vegetation, this is awarded the highest possible scoring. I am currently consulting on draft UGF guidance to support implementation of this policy.

Christmas Congestion Charge

Keith Prince: Given the vital importance of the Christmas period for the West End and Central London economy, will you bring forward the reduction in Congestion Charge operating hours to the 1st December?

The Mayor: TfL has recently completed a public and stakeholder consultation on a number of proposed changes to the Congestion Charging scheme. It received just under 10,000 responses and information on the proposals remains available on TfL’s consultation website.
TfL is analysing the responses to the consultation and will produce a summary of the issues raised and its responses as part of the final report.
This will be submitted to me for consideration, and I am hoping this will happen before the end of the year. I will them make a decision on whether to proceed with the proposed changes as consulted on, to make modifications or not to implement the proposals.
It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to make any decisions on the outcome of the consultation without having considered the report, following TfL’s proper analysis of the consultation responses.

Shared ownership homes in London

Siân Berry: What data do you hold on the total number of shared ownership homes in London, and how this number has grown in recent years? Could you provide any data you hold on this that is not already included in published reports or Government statistics?

The Mayor: Data on shared ownership homes in London is published by the Regulator for Social Housing. Their latest data on social housing stock was released in October and can be found here, alongside data from previous years. In March 2021, RPs reported owning 52,271 low cost home ownership units, a 6% increase on the previous years’ total of 49,229.
The GLA does not hold any additional data on the total number of shared ownership homes in London.

Domestic abuse incident arrests

Unmesh Desai: Please advise how many domestic abuse incidents attended in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 so far have resulted in both parties in a relationship being arrested at the scene? If possible, please advise what proportion of total domestic abuse incidents attended result in multiple arrests.

The Mayor: MPS data systems do not easily permit the extraction of this information. Answering this question would require significant investigation and analysis of individual case files.

Progress on works at Holborn Gyratory

Caroline Pidgeon: What specific actions have been taken by (a) TfL and (b) Camden Council in relation to making Holborn Gyratory safe for cyclists during the month of October?

The Mayor: During October 2021, work has progressed well to improve safety at the Holborn gyratory and specifically to the junction of Southampton Row and Theobalds Road. Camden Council, as the Highways Authority, is continuing to lead the improvements, with support from Transport for London (TfL).
Improvements to the junction that have taken place in October include:
Work is continuing to design the next interventions. Both Camden Council and TfL continue to prioritise this work and remain on track to deliver the next set of safety improvements to the gyratory.

Missing people training

Shaun Bailey: In the Met Business Plan 2021/22 Quarter 1 update, it mentions a bespoke 3-day training course on missing people. To date, how many personnel have had this training?

The Mayor: The 3-day training course includes risk recognition, investigative response and problem-solving approaches in missing person investigations. It was designed primarily to equip secondary investigators deployed to Missing Person Units (MPU).
The face-to-face course has been delivered to over 50 MPU investigators representing all 12 Basic Command Units.

Operation Cavell

Shaun Bailey: Since the Met's Operation Cavell went live, what results has it had?

The Mayor: Operation Cavell is the MPS response, in partnership with the CPS and NHS senior leaders, to support NHS victims of assault and abuse. Operation Cavell has seen offenders brought to justice, including custodial sentences for assaults and racial abuse of up to 42 weeks, alongside compensation for victims ordered by the courts.
Unfortunately, MPS wide data is not currently available but performance frameworks to capture this are being established. However, since October 2020 South Area BCU (Croydon, Bromley and Sutton) have recorded 128 Operation Cavell cases and secured a 29.4% positive outcome rate, compared to 6.6% before the initiative.

Sick Pay and the London Living Wage

Onkar Sahota: Will you use your platform to encourage London Living Wage employers to also provide weekly Sick Pay to their staff at the rate of £10.85 p/h?

The Mayor: The pandemic highlighted the importance of sufficient sick pay. I encourage all employers, including Living Wage employers, to enhance their sick leave conditions for their workers. My Good Work Standard encourages and supports employers to improve all aspects of their employment practice.
The Government also has a role to play where an employer cannot provide sufficient sick pay. To create a safety net for workers, I call on the government to abolish the lower earnings limit and ensure all workers are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. Two million workers currently lose out on Statutory Sick Pay. This disproportionately affects women and Londoners from minority ethnic backgrounds. The current rate is insufficient to meet living costs in London. The weekly level of sick pay of £96.35 needs to be raised to the equivalent of the London Living Wage, to reflect the capital’s cost of living.

Proud to Care Scheme

Onkar Sahota: How many social care workers have been recruited in London so far through the Proud to Care scheme?

The Mayor: Proud to Care is led by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and is not a City Hall funded programme. ADASS reports that so far 2,900 social care workers have been recruited through the scheme in London.

Driving for Change and Vaccinations for Homeless Londoners

Onkar Sahota: Is there an update on whether the two refurbished London buses that will provide rough sleepers healthcare and support through the Driving for Change initiative will also start to offer COVID-19 vaccinations?

The Mayor: The buses will start operating on Tuesdays and Thursdays from mid to late November in two sites. Meetings have been scheduled with OHID, relevant ICSs, the GLA and Change Please to explore whether vaccinations can be provided via this route.
The NHS continues to offer vaccinations to former rough sleepers in hostels, hotels and other forms of temporary accommodation, as well as to those currently on the streets working alongside outreach teams. This includes a mix of outreach offers, through primary care, pharmacies and the Find and Treat team. Alongside this, all agencies providing support to these groups continue to encourage people to visit local walk-in clinics or to book an appointment through the NHS website.

Domestic abuse counter allegations

Susan Hall: For each year, Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21, when an instance of domestic abuse is reported, how many times have counter allegations been made? If possible, please provide the sex of those who make the initial allegation, and for those who made the counter allegation?

The Mayor: MPS data systems do not easily permit the extraction of this information. Answering this question would require significant investigation and analysis of individual files.

Mayoral Environmental Grants to Ealing and Hillingdon

Onkar Sahota: Can you provide a breakdown of how much has been awarded to a) Ealing and b) Hillingdon from your range of environmental grant schemes since 2016?

The Mayor: Since 2016 I have awarded £902,217 environmental grant funding to Ealing and £168,765 to Hillingdon. A breakdown is presented in Appendix 1. The discrepancy between boroughs reflects the number, scale and quality of bids received from each, i.e. Ealing submitted more eligible bids than Hillingdon. Also note, many grants are awarded to projects or community groups within a given borough, rather than the local authorities themselves.
Additionally Ealing and Hillingdon both participate in pan-London programmes including the ‘Non-Road Mobile Machinery’ project (£500,000) and the anti-idling project (£500,00), which both benefit boroughs by reducing localised air pollution.
The figures quoted do not include GLA programmes which bring additional funding into boroughs but which are not directly funded by the GLA, such as the Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund, which helps retrofit buildings.
All figures are based on funds awarded, except Warmer Homes 2 which are based on invoices received to date.

The Mayor: MQ 4701 Appendix.pdf

Intensification of Industrial Land (2)

Sakina Sheikh: Do you believe the intensification of industrial land can help alleviate the competing pressures on land in London, for example housebuilding?

The Mayor: Yes, intensifying industrial land can free up space to provide additional land for housing and other uses in London. This is set out in Policy E7 of my London Plan including the mechanisms to do this through plan-making, with local engagement.
In some parts of London, the demand for industrial land is so great that the land values for industrial uses are higher than for residential use. Intensifying in these locations for their existing use could therefore also allow for much needed increased industrial capacity whilst alleviating pressure on other land uses elsewhere.

Cancellation of Tube trains to Chesham (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: When will a full service to Chesham be restored?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is currently operating a full timetabled service to Chesham. However, it recognises that the service to Chesham and other Metropolitan line branches has recently been affected by short-notice cancellations and delays as it continues to manage the impacts of the pandemic.
TfL’s service control centres and pool of train operators have been affected by Covid-related absences in recent weeks, which has led to service cancellations at short notice. TfL has also experienced delays to its training programme for new staff members as a result of Covid-related restrictions. TfL is working hard to address this, with a number of drivers due to qualify in the coming weeks, which will help TfL to run a more reliable service.

Abuse of Powers for a Sexual Purpose (APSP) Referrals

Caroline Pidgeon: How many APSP referrals has the Met made to the IOPC over the last five years, broken down by (i) year and (ii) the outcome of the referrals?

The Mayor: The tables below show the number of public complaints and conduct matters referred to the IOPC over the last 5 years.
Number of Public Complaints referred
Nov16-Oct17
Nov17-Oct18
Nov18-Oct19
Nov19-Oct20
Nov20-Oct21
Referrals
0
1
2
9
5
Number of Conduct Matters referred
Nov16-Oct17
Nov17-Oct18
Nov18-Oct19
Nov19-Oct20
Nov20-Oct21
Referrals
8
14
12
18
16
Data is based on cases with an allegation with the type ‘Abuse of position for sexual purpose’ (from February 2020 onwards) or key words/flags in the allegation summaries (cases recorded prior to February 2020).

Green schools

Leonie Cooper: Is there currently any GLA funding available for local schools to install solar panels, green walls or heat pumps, to help them meet the Climate Emergency?

The Mayor: Yes. To help tackle the climate emergency, schools can apply to my London Community Energy Fund. The fifth round, launched in October, supports project development and capital grants for low carbon energy projects, including solar panels and heat-pumps. Projects funded through the latest round will be announced in early 2022.
Also, the Grow Back Greener Fund supports measures to green school playgrounds and support climate adaptation, including green walls, tree planting and de-paving. Projects funded through the latest round will be announced in late 2021. There will be a further round in 2022.
Lastly, I recently announced winners of the Climate Kick-Start Prize (five London secondary schools awarded £10,000 to kick-start or accelerate environmental action) and a £1.5 million Climate Resilient Schools Programme which will see City Hall, the Department for Education and Thames Water working together to enhance the climate resilience of up to 100 targeted schools.

Affordable housing

Emma Best: After missing your manifesto commitments for affordable housing, how will you look to improve performance for the remainder of your mayoralty?

The Mayor: I have not missed my manifesto commitments for affordable housing. Under my leadership the GLA has hit every one of the milestones set by government and started over 72,000 affordable homes since 2016 – including 17,256 homes in 2019/20, more than in any year since City Hall records began in 2002. I have also overseen the beginnings of a new renaissance in council homebuilding, and boroughs across London are on track to deliver 10,000 council homes by the end of March 2023.

Food Strategy

Leonie Cooper: What are the Mayor’s plans for developing London’s food strategy post-covid and who will lead on this in light of the fact the GLA’s food team has been disbanded?

The Mayor: The GLA continues to support the delivery of a cross-cutting food strategy, including work on food security, health, London’s food economy, skills provision and the environment.
The recent consultation on the changes to my Communities & Social Policy unit changed the remit of the food team to focus resources on tackling food insecurity and, related, the Robust Safety Net Mission.
As part of these changes, responsibility for the coordination of the implementation of the London Food Strategy is being transferred to the GLA’s City Intelligence unit, which will provide a single point of contact for this work across the GLA. I have also appointed a food champion within my office to increase oversight and accountability.
In the coming months we will publish an updated implementation plan for the food strategy, setting out our priorities for the remainder of this mayoralty and reflecting changes in response to the impact of COVID-19.

South Western train changes

Leonie Cooper: Have you or the Deputy Mayor for Transport been in contact with South Western Railway about the timetable changes it is consulting on, and/or submitted a response?

The Mayor: Transport for London officers met with South Western Railway in August to discuss their December 2022 timetable proposals and a written response to the consultation was submitted in mid-September.
This was publishedin my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/4044.

Financial Exclusion

Shaun Bailey: Please can you confirm under which Deputy Mayor's remit financial exclusion sits?

The Mayor: Financial exclusion, and the related issue of financial inclusion, relate to the inability, difficultly or reluctance to access mainstream financial services and the ability to manage day-to-day transactions; meet expenses; manage a loss of earned income; and avoid or reduce problem debt.
The work of a number of deputy mayors is relevant to these issues, including (but not limited to): my Deputy Mayor for communities and social justice, who oversees work on the robust safety net recovery mission; my Deputy Mayor for business, who holds relationships with the financial sector and oversees my Good Work Standard, which seeks to promote financial benefits for workers such as credit union membership; and my Deputy Mayor for education and childcare whose role covers the promotion of financial literacy amongst young Londoners.

Tourism

Shaun Bailey: Please can you confirm under which Deputy Mayor's remit tourism sits?

The Mayor: As Mayor of London, my remit includes promoting London and our brilliant hospitality, culture, and retail industries. As part of this, we are currently delivering a £6 million ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign, which is estimated to have had a £70 million impact in terms of increased expenditure and brought around 280,000 additional visitors to London over the summer.
Tourism is formally part of the remit of Rajesh Agrawal, as Deputy Mayor for Business and Chair of London and Partners.  The crossover with Deputy MayorJustine Simons’ remit for culture and creative industries is considerable and in practice Rajesh, Justine and their teams work very closely together to oversee and deliver activity such as Let’s Do London.
By way of example, London & Partners are leading on the Let’s Do London marketing campaign, while the GLA Culture team are leading on management and delivery of special events like Pop Up London,Backto the Big Screen and the forthcoming Winter Lights season.

International Business

Shaun Bailey: What have you done to boost and support international business in London since 2016 other than through your work with London & Partners?

The Mayor: London and Partners is, of course, the primary vehicle by which City Hall supports and encourage international business investment in London: https://www.londonandpartners.com/. In continuing to support and fund London and Partners, I have ensured that London continues to have a strong presence in key markets for business investment in London.
I also launched the #LondonIsOpen campaign in 2016 to show the world that despite Brexit, London remains united and open for business, investment, and talent from Europe and around the world – a message has lost none of its resonance as we emerge from the pandemic.
It is essential that London remains as attractive as possible for existing businesses located here and new foreign direct investment. While Brexit has clearly harmed the UK’s international appeal, my strategies and investments are helping to ensure that London continues to offer incoming businesses access to a highly-skilled workforce, cleaner air and a greener transport system, a vibrant cultural scene and an ecosystem of dynamic innovation.
I will continue to champion London across the globe as a place to do business and invest.

Key Worker Housing

Sem Moema: What steps are you taking to encourage housing providers to ensure there is an element of Key Worker Housing in new developments?

The Mayor: Meeting London's diverse housing needs is a key goal of my housing policies and planning policies. I will shortly be publishing a list of key worker occupations for the purposes of allocating intermediate housing in London. Intermediate housing plays an important role in meeting the needs of middle-income households, and giving priority to key workers is one way to ensure that London’s affordable housing creates wide-ranging benefits for the city.
As detailed in the GLA's response to the intermediate housing consultation in 2020, I support public sector organisations to provide new homes for staff and other key workers on their land. Using my powers to direct development through land acquisition, my housing team continues to ensure that through GLA funding supports new homes for key workers. This will be spearheaded at the St Ann’s hospital development in Haringey in partnership with Catalyst housing association and the NHS Trust.

Retrofitting Homes in Ealing

Onkar Sahota: Ealing is helping to lead the way on London’s retrofitting revolution, but only has enough funding to start work on 68 council homes out of the 5,000 that are ready for refurbishment. How will your recently announced Retrofit Revolution scheme help Ealing to upgrade more of its housing stock and what extra funding and support is needed from the Government to meet the scale of the challenge across London?

The Mayor: I declared a Retrofit Revolution to help drive ambition to decarbonise homes across London. As part of this, I have established my Innovation Partnership, and I am delighted Ealing is a part of this. My Retrofit Accelerator – Homes and my government backed Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator which provide technical advice and support to social housing providers, including in Ealing.
I am committed to helping London access the finance needed for retrofit. I have set up the Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund and provided further funding. I am also developing the successor.
However, government needs to ensure more funding and regulation is provided to meet the scale of the retrofit challenge. It is estimated London needs around £98 billion to retrofit homes and government is providing a fraction of this nationally. Further funding is required, including for the deeper levels of retrofit being delivered through my Innovation Partnership.

Older Londoners Digital Poverty

Shaun Bailey: What work has your Chief Digital Officer undertaken to tackle digital poverty, particularly with older Londoners? Please provide KPIs.

The Mayor: My Chief Digital Officer is working closely with the London Office for Technology and Innovation(LOTI)to tackle digital exclusion in London for all Londonersthroughthe delivery of theDigital Inclusion Innovation Programme(DIIP), as part of my Digital Access for All mission.
This will provide abody of evidenceand tested solutionstouncover what London needs to tackle the issue of digital exclusion.The KPI for thisaction in the missionis to research, design, and test a ‘minimum access package’ to connect digitally excluded Londoners’ to an essential device, data or digital skills
Asan example,LOTIisnow working with the Helix Centre,part of the Imperial College,to research and testdigitalsupportfordementia care in London by providing services for peopleliving with dementia, and people caring for a person with dementia. The projectoutcomes are tohelp peoplelivingwith dementia stay in their homes longer, promote good physical and mental health and wellbeing amongpeople caring for a person with dementiaand peoplelivingwith dementia, support localauthoritiesresponsibility to provide good quality information and advice,and facilitate knowledge exchange and the sharing of best practice betweensupportgroups.
Other projectsto dateincludemappingdigital inclusion risk factors, mappingdigital inclusion projects, researching barriers andsuccess factors to tackling exclusion,andexaminingincreasing thesupply of devices to those who need themthrough recycling.
My Chief Digital Officer also supports the work of the Connected London team to improve digital connectivity across London by working with boroughstoupgrade public sites to deliver new digital servicesandunlockbarriers for commercial deploymentthrough collaboration andwayleave agreementswith operatorsfor social housing stock. The teamhasbeen working with operators to promote social tariffs which provide low cost of free fixed line connections for Londoners on means tested benefits.The KPIs for this programme areupgraded sites and thepercentage of local authority owned social housing that is covered by an agreement between the freeholder and a full fibre operator.

Drinking Fountains for London Scheme

Onkar Sahota: Did Hillingdon Council put in a bid for your Drinking Fountains for London scheme? Are there any plans to install drinking fountains in the borough?

The Mayor: It is my ambition to ensure all Londoners benefit from the London drinking fountains programme and have access to free drinking water when on the go, helping to reduce single-use plastic bottle waste across the city. In October 2018, I announced my partnership with Thames Water to install over 100 drinking fountains across the capital.
Hillingdon Council applied for four drinking fountains. Unfortunately, these applications did not progress as they were all outside the Thames Water supply area.
My Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy and officers have contacted Affinity, who supply water to the London Borough of Hillingdon, to ask if they would be willing to work with me to provide public water fountains. Support from the relevant water supply company is needed in order to connect to their water mains. Unfortunately, no response has been received.

Manifesto Delivery

Peter Fortune: How many manifesto commitments will you have delivered by the end of this Mayoral term?

The Mayor: I have every intention of doing all I can to deliver on the commitments in my manifesto.

TfL Travel Mentoring Service (4)

Elly Baker: How many TfL staff were working in the Travel Mentoring Service in every year from 2015/16 to 2021/22?

The Mayor: The total number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff within the travel mentoring team are listed below.
Please note this does not include a manager who leads this team and carries other responsibilities as well.

TfL Travel Mentoring Service (3)

Elly Baker: What were the budgets for the travel mentoring service from 2015/16 to 2021/22? Please provide budgets of each financial year.

The Mayor: Please see the costs for Travel Mentoring for the years requested. Please note these figures include all costs associated with the programme, including staff costs, accommodation, technology, and all other items associated with the delivery of the Travel Mentoring Service.
*The figure for 2021/22 is a budget estimate, previous years are the actual costs.

TfL Travel Mentoring Service (6)

Elly Baker: The Travel Mentoring Scheme is for those with a mobility requirement or a disability. What plans, if any, do you have to expand the service so that older Londoners, who are anxious about using the network, can be supported by a travel mentor?

The Mayor: Members of the Travel Mentor Team recently attended two engagement sessions with the charity Age UK to outline the range of accessibility features available through Transport for London (TfL) and Assisted Transport Services. As part of these sessions, TfL highlighted its Travel Mentoring Service as an available option for older Londoners.
There are many ways the team can help older Londoners who are anxious about travelling again. TfL continues to engage with Age UK to help to tackle social isolation amongst the elderly and is currently looking at who might benefit the most from the service and the accessibility features available on the TfL network.

Door-to-Door Services

Elly Baker: What steps do you plan to take to improve the taxicard and Dial-a-Ride services?

The Mayor: CityFleet, the main Taxicard contractor, which provides the Taxicard service for ComCab taxis and Private Hire vehicles, has a combined target for advance and “as soon as possible” bookings of 95 per cent of vehicles arriving within 15 minutes of the agreed time, or 30 minutes of the booking respectively. In the year to 6 November 2021, the average weekly performance was 95.19 per cent.
Over the past 10 weeks, average weekly performance has fallen to 93.44 per cent. This has been primarily due to two factors. Firstly, the recent fuel delivery issues affected the supply of vehicles and congestion levels on London’s roads. Secondly, non-Taxicard demand for vehicles has increased at a time when the wider industry is facing significant driver shortages.
London Councils, which manages the scheme, receives weekly performance information and meets every two weeks with ComCab London to consider how to improve the service. While the fuel issues were outside the contractor’s control, London Councils is working closely with ComCab London and TfL to improve supply. Measures include:
The first two of these measures are beginning to have an impact and the proportion of jobs undertaken by PHVs increased from 2.12 per cent in the week beginning 21 August 2021 to 6.72 per cent in the week beginning 30 October 2021.
Dial-a-Ride is operating very well, fulfilling more than 95 per cent of all its member journey requests – five per cent more than its target of 90 per cent. TfL continues to look for ways to enhance the service further. For instance, it is currently procuring a new booking and scheduling system which will allow customers to book and cancel trips online, rather than phoning the contact centre.

Companion Travel Pass

Elly Baker: Following MQ 2021/2495 can you confirm what discussions you have had with the Government about providing for a companion pass in the next funding agreement?

The Mayor: Transport for London has not had any discussions with Government about the introduction of a new companion travel pass.
Please also seemy response to Mayor’s Question 2021/2495.

Cryptocurrency

Shaun Bailey: What are you doing to investigate the potential risks and benefits of cryptocurrency for London's economy?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Business, Rajesh Agrawal and GLA officers engage regularly with key stakeholders in the financial services industry to understand potential risks and opportunities for London’s economy.
Most cryptocurrencies are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority which means they are not protected by the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
While blockchain and cryptocurrency technology bring economic opportunities to London’s booming fintech sector, there are also risks associated with the growing number of cryptocurrencies, such as the potential for scams to which businesses and members of the public may fall victim.
It is therefore important that a greater understanding of these risks and how they might best be regulated by Government is developed; so that a balance can be reached between fintech innovation and protecting the public.

Priority Access to Affordable Housing for London’s Keyworkers

Onkar Sahota: Can you provide an update on the consultation you launched in May into providing London’s keyworkers with priority access to new affordable housing?

The Mayor: Please see my response to MQ 2021/4694.

Adopting of tree strategies by London Boroughs

Hina Bokhari: What is the estimate of the number of boroughs that have a tree strategy and, as part of your commitment to increasing tree planting, does the GLA provide any support to boroughs to adopt a tree strategy?

The Mayor: Evidence gathered by partners in the London Urban Forest Partnership currently indicate 20 of the 33 boroughs (including the City of London) have some form of tree strategy or management policy document.
The GLA will be providing support to boroughs with guidance on creating urban forest plans as part of their green infrastructure strategies in line with London Plan Policy G1. This is due to be published for consultation early in 2022.

Safer Neighbourhood Team (2)

Krupesh Hirani: How many Safer Neighbourhood Team Sergeants, PCs and PCSOs are currently not serving front line roles on medical grounds in Harrow?

The Mayor: There are fewer than 10 PCs, Sergeants and PCSOs currently restricted from full operational duties in Harrow.
As a result of these very low numbers further details cannot be disclosed as it would risk identifying individuals.

PCSOs

Keith Prince: Can PSCOs be purchased by London Boroughs. If so, how much per an officer?

The Mayor: Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) cannot be purchased under the current Partnership Plus scheme.

TfL Registration Identification

Emma Best: Please can you urgently commit to reviewing TfL’s registration identification system which has led to multiple wrong tickets being issued to compliant vehicle owners entering the ULEZ?

The Mayor: The ULEZ is supported by a world-leading vehicle identification system, operated by Capita. Instances of incorrect identification are extremely rare, and when raised with Transport for London they are quickly rectified.

Use of Pesticides

Keith Prince: Can the Mayor provide an update on his progress to implement the motion passed by the London Assembly in July 2019 that called for the phasing out of the use of pesticides on Greater London Authority land and the Transport for London estate?

The Mayor: The herbicide ‘glyphosate’, and other chemically-based pesticides, are no longer in use across the Greater London Authority property portfolio. These are the sites the GLA is directly responsible for managing, including Parliament Square, and Thames Barrier Park, Silvertown Quays and Crystal Gardens in the Royal Docks.
Since early 2019 TfL has undertaken trials on phasing out the use of glyphosate across its network, with the aim of identifying effective alternatives that do not compromise the safety of the rail and road networks.
They are currently seeking and trialling safer alternatives including electrocide, hot foam, steam, and stem injection.
Other organisations managing rail and road networks across the UK, such as Network Rail, as well as international rail operators, are currently facing similar challenges in finding effective alternatives.
Trials have demonstrated that an electrocide is effective in killing weeds, but the system will need more development before it can be deployed widely. Across the road network TfL is responsible for managing, glyphosate use has been reduced by over 60 per cent.

Edmonton Incinerator

Emma Best: Could you advise if you are satisfied with the forecasted capacity at the new Edmonton Incinerator?

The Mayor: The decision on the capacity of the new Edmonton incinerator is determined by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA).
I have been clear that London does not need any additional incineration capacity.
Modelling undertaken for my London Environment Strategy included the capacity provided by the new incinerators at Edmonton and Beddington in Sutton as they both already had planning permission, which was granted for Edmonton by the Secretary of State in 2017.
Given this, I am now focused on ensuring that the Edmonton facility and all London’s incinerators only manage truly non-recyclable waste, maximise electricity generation, supply the waste heat created into a local heat network and operate with the best available techniques to reduce air pollution emissions.

PM2.5 levels

Emma Best: Could you confirm you have seen the KCL report which shows that 99% of Londoners still breathe PM2.5 levels above the WHO maximum levels?

The Mayor: I am acutely aware of the number of Londoners exposed to toxic levels of air pollution which is why I am tackling air pollution in London a priority. My policies have already led to a 15 per cent reduction in PM2.5 concentrations in London but we must go further to protect the health of all Londoners. This is why I expanded the Ultra Low Emission Zone last month.
The report was published in October 2020 : https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/air-quality-london-2016-2020
Since then, the World Health Organization has updated its recommended guidelines for PM2.5 based on health evidence; now all Londoners live in areas above this level.
I am using the powers I have to reduce PM2.5 but around half the PM2.5 in London comes from outside the city. Whilst I need more powers and funding to act on sources within London, the Government needs to play their part to reduce emissions.

The Impact of Vaccination Rates on Tourism

Hina Bokhari: Vaccination rates in London continue to be lower than the UK average and this is likely to be a contributing factor discouraging tourists from returning to the capital, with London’s hotel occupancy still lower than rest of UK. What more are you doing with boroughs and others to tackle this issue?

The Mayor: Barriers to international travel – which is so important to London - may be the key factor explaining London’s lower hotel occupancy relative to other parts of the country. Those barriers are now being lowered and I hope that we see further recovery in hotel occupancy as well as across the wider hospitality sector.
However, we must in any case continue to work together with boroughs and the NHS to improve vaccination rates further – from providing vaccine clinics at convenient times for Londoners’ busy lives, to opening walk-in centres for Londoners regardless of immigration status and GP registration. A new video campaign to encourage young people to get vaccinated has been screened on digital billboards across the city.
My £6m ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign has focused on encouraging domestic tourists to visit central London, including overnight stays in London’s hotels. My business growth and destination agency, London & Partners, is working closely with London's tourism industry to build on the success of that campaign; and plan how to maximise the number of international visitors to London from now.

Reform of VAT on Cultural Ticketing

Hina Bokhari: The UK is out of step with rest of Europe in not having a lower rate of VAT on ticketing for cultural events and experiences, which has a significant economic impact on London. Will you push Government for VAT ticketing reform to help stimulate the recovery of the arts sector after Covid?

The Mayor: I and my Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries share concerns raised by the Association for Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), that the UK’s price competitiveness relative to other countries is being negatively impacted by high levels of UK taxation.
I am also mindful of research from VisitBritain and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions showing that European states with higher rates of VAT on visitor accommodation experience slower tourism growth than those that apply a lower levy rate.
ALVA has called for a VAT reduction on tourism accommodation to help boost price competitiveness., while the live events industries have asked Government to maintain the 5% VAT rate on ticket sales which was introduced last year. The DCMS Committee published a report last June recommending that the 5% VAT rate should be kept for three years.

Older Londoners and Access to the Internet

Hina Bokhari: One in five of the older Londoners polled in a recent survey by Age UK cited a lack of “access to good enough equipment and / or broadband” when asked about the reasons why they didn’t use the internet more. A lack of access to the internet can often mean missing out on more affordable online only deals from energy providers and many other services. Will you bring together internet providers and call on them to introduce social tariffs for broadband that are either free or genuinely affordable for older people, including adding Pension Credit as part of the eligibility criteria?

The Mayor: As part of the London Recovery Programme, London Councils and I have prioritised Digital Access for All as one of the missions to ensure that ‘Every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.’
My Chief Digital Officer and the GLA’s Connected London teamhavemet with telecom providers to better understand their social tariff offersand how Londoners can access them.At present, only Hyperoptic havespecificallyincluded pension credit within the eligibility criteria for their tariff.
Myteamisspeakingwithoperatorswho have an existing social tariff offerandrequestthatPension Creditis added to the eligibility criteria.It isalsoworking with operators who areyet to launch a social tariff andtheywillrequest that thosereceivingPension Credit are included in theireligibility criteria.

Protecting Children’s Centres in London

Hina Bokhari: Please outline how you are working with boroughs to ensure there is good childcare provision across London, particularly in relation to supporting and protecting existing children’s centres across London given their importance to the capital’s economy?

The Mayor: I agree that access to high quality childcare provision is vital to London’s economic success.
In June I launched ‘Strong Early Years London’ offering essential business support to early years providers, many of whom were hit hard by the pandemic and are concerned about their survival. It aims to support 2,500 providers, and we have already had engagement from across the capital. Our delivery partner, Early Years Alliance, is approaching borough leads to offer local surgeries and ensure local offers are listed on our new ‘one-stop-shop’ for early years business support, hosted on the London Business Hub.
As part of the London Recovery Programme, I have committed funds to encourage take up of early years entitlements, including a digital campaign. I’ve consulted with boroughs to make sure I get the messaging right and that this campaign supports their local efforts. I’ll also be launching a toolkit capturing key learning from my Early Years Hubs, which will help local authorities to support providers.
Recognising my limited statutory role within early years, I am unable to directly protect children’s centres in London; however, I will continue to make the case to Government for adequate funding for affordable, accessible and quality early years provision in all its forms. I am also following the development of the Government’s new Family Hubs programme, which I hope can build on the success of some of London’s existing children’s centres.

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Pool Repairs

Caroline Pidgeon: The 50m pool in Crystal Palace Sports Centre has been closed since March 2020. Can you provide me with an update on the discussion over repair work, as well as an explanation of why progress is so slow and what you are doing to push the importance of this facility to the local community and the need for urgent action?

The Mayor: I completely understand the frustration of all those who love using the pools and I’ve asked my team to contract a firm to plan and carry out the necessary renovation works as a matter of urgency, with the goal of maximising the time the pools are available for use.
I am committed to the comprehensive renovation of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre so that it can be brought safely back into full use as soon as possible, and deliver positive sporting, community, health and wellbeing outcomes for Londoners.
The National Sports Centre is a hugely important sporting and community facility for the capital and my decision to allocate the much-needed funds for its renovation will secure its future for decades to come.
Further consultation on the development plans will be planned by my team for the coming months, to make sure the local community, centre users and key stakeholders can fully input their views. This will build on the previous engagement work done to date and ensure the vision for the centre captures local aspirations.

Air quality monitoring waste and recycling sites

Hina Bokhari: What air quality monitoring (both for health and quality of life) do you fund or do you plan to fund, at waste and recycling centres in London such as Waldo Road site in Bromley, including Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) pollution?

The Mayor: Through the environmental permitting regime, the Environment Agency is responsible for identifying the appropriate monitoring and ensuring that it is in place for industrial installations, including waste sites, and that it is operated correctly and subject to external scrutiny to ensure that a site is operating within the restrictions imposed by the permit. I understand this site is under a standard rules permit, so there is no TVOC monitoring although the EA officers do assess as required or in response to complaints.
The majority of the London air quality monitoring network, including the Breathe London network, focus on Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter as these are the main pollutants that affect the health of Londoners.

Claims Against the Met Through Employment Tribunals

Caroline Pidgeon: How many current or former Met officers and staff are currently in the process of bringing claims against the Met through employment tribunals?

The Mayor: MPS records indicate that, as of 9November 2021, there were 87 claimants that have raised 110 claims against the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis. These claimants include police officers, members of the Metropolitan Special Constabulary, Police Staff, contractors and members of the public.
This MPS has a total workforce in excess of 46,000.

Inquiry into Issues Raised by the Conviction of Wayne Couzens

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you share concerns that the two-part inquiry launched by the Home Secretary into the issues raised by the conviction of Wayne Couzens is to be a non-statutory inquiry, without the legal powers and independence necessary for such a serious and important piece of work?

The Mayor: I have had detailed discussions with the Home Secretary about how we urgently do everything necessary to rebuild trust and confidence in the police, in London and across the country. We agreed that the gravity of the situation required no less than a proper inquiry.
This inquiry must leave no stone unturned to ensure that the failures that led to a serving police officer killing Sarah Everard can never happen again. And while I know the vast majority of officers are decent and dedicated public servants, the inquiry must also address reports of widespread cultural issues. All police officers must adhere to the highest possible standards, we must stamp out misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia, root out those who abuse their trusted position as officers, and ensure that tackling violence against women and girls is treated with the highest priority.
I have been clear that a response on a similar scale to that seen following the murder of Stephen Lawrence is needed.
The Home Secretary has stated that the inquiry will be established as a non-statutory inquiry but can be converted to a statutory inquiry if required.

Accessibility of attractions bookings

Zack Polanski: Many museums, art galleries and other attractions in London are requiring people to book a time slot online in advance in order to visit them. How are you working with attractions in order to ensure that they are still accessible for Londoners and other visitors who might not have access to the internet?

The Mayor: London’s world class cultural attractions need to be both safe and accessible to the public, including older Londoners and those who may not have regular access to the internet.
I am delighted that London’s cultural organisations are back up and running and offering such a huge range of COVID-safe in-person activities, from concerts and theatre productions to films and exhibitions. Many offer alternatives to online booking such as walk-up admissions and continue to offer telephone booking to ensure visitors have a range of options to secure tickets. I would urge all cultural organisations to offer alternative ways to book.
I will continue to work with London’s attractions and London and Partners, as I have done this year through my Let’s Do London campaign, to ensure our world class culture recovers from COVID-19 and continues to play its key role attracting visitors from around the UK and the globe to London.

Progress on Implementing Recommendations from the HMICFRS Report – ‘Police Response to Violence Against Women and Girls’

Caroline Pidgeon: Please update me on the Met’s progress in implementing all the recommendations from HMICFRS’s September 2021 final inspection report on the police’s response to violence against women and girls.

The Mayor: The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime oversees MPS progress in this area and regularly meets with MPS senior officers to discuss this and hold them accountable.
MOPAC will be formally responding to the HMICFRS inspection report in the normal way and would be happy to share the letter with you once it is published.
I fully support the recommendations in the report. Tackling VAWG is a priority for me, and this is why MOPAC is working with survivors and sector experts to refresh my strategy in this area.

Protecting Londoners from Increasing Levels of Financial Fraud

Caroline Pidgeon: The latest fraud report from UK Finance shows that, in the first half of 2021, criminals stole £753.9 million through fraud, an increase of 30 per cent compared to the same period in 2020. How are you working with the Met and others to protect and safeguard Londoners from financial fraud?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) work with the City of London Police (CoLP) in the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This Unit assesses the vulnerability of victims and works through the MPS Central Specialist Cyber Crime Team to deliver enhanced support. MOPAC and the MPS sit as part of the Fraud Communications Group ensuring preventative messages are promulgated widely. In addition, the Mayor supports the London Digital Security Centre delivery of focused crime prevention advice to small and medium sized companies in partnership with the MPS. The MPS also plays an active part in national proactive initiatives focused on high harm offending such as Courier and Romance Fraud.

Age-friendly High Streets for All (2)

Zack Polanski: Will you fund an age friendly high street pilot to promote best practice for ensuring high streets are inclusive for older Londoners?

The Mayor: In March, I launched the High Streets for All Challenge to support London’s diverse communities, public institutions and businesses to deliver enhanced public spaces and exciting new uses for underused high street buildings. Funding is already supporting the development of partnerships, strategies and projects to breathe new life into our town centres and high streets, delivering a resilient and thriving mix of shops and services within easy reach of all Londoners and at-all-times of the day and night.
My team will encourage recipients of funding to consider the particular needs of older people as part of their work to engage with and support London’s diverse communities. This includes, where possible, working with funding recipients to explore how high streets and associated services can tackle loneliness and promote intergenerational exchange.

Age-friendly High Streets for All (1)

Zack Polanski: Will you review all High Streets for All funded schemes based on how age-friendly they are to highlight the work needed to make sure high streets are inclusive?

The Mayor: In March, I launched the High Streets for All Challenge to support London’s diverse communities, public institutions and businesses to deliver enhanced public spaces and exciting new uses for underused high street buildings. Funding is already supporting the development of partnerships, strategies and projects to breathe new life into our town centres and high streets, delivering a resilient and thriving mix of shops and services within easy reach of all Londoners and at-all-times of the day and night.
My team will encourage recipients of funding to consider the particular needs of older people as part of their work to engage with and support London’s diverse communities. This includes, where possible, working with funding recipients to explore how high streets and associated services can tackle loneliness and promote intergenerational exchange.

Impact of Brexit on museums

Zack Polanski: How are you working with museums in London to help them deal with the impacts of Brexit?

The Mayor: Brexit has the potential to make the touring of exhibitions within the EU more expensive, and potentially prohibitive.
On 3 February, I wrote to the former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden MP, expressing my concerns about the UK Government’s failure to come to a deal with the EU and the impact this would have on the sector.
The GLA funds the Museum of London which supports the wider museum sector in the capital through its Museum Development London programme. The programme aims to help London’s museums build resilience so they can maximise their benefits to audiences and communities – particularly important in light of Brexit and COVID-19. The Museum of London is helping museums through development and grant programmes, specialist support, and online resources.

Impact of Brexit on musicians

Zack Polanski: Do you agree with the letter from David Warburton MP to the Prime Minister about the steps needed to support musicians in London?
https://www.ukmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Letter-from-David-Warburton_03.11.2021.pdf

The Mayor: Yes, I agree with David Warburton MP’s letter and the calls for the government to take action.
According to UK Music, the industry is worth £5.8 billion to the economy. Up to 80 per cent of UK musicians tour to the EU, and half of the revenue of UK orchestras’ international touring comes from EU tours.
Without an agreement on smooth travel for both musicians and equipment heading to the EU, international touring will be prohibitive, expensive and will result in fewer cultural exchanges and tours between the UK and EU. This would be devastating for the UK’s music industry and for talent development.
On 3 February, I wrote to the former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden MP, about the UK Government’s failure to come to a deal with the EU on touring.I have not received a response yet but a copy of my letter can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/sites/default/files/2021-1003%20London%20Musicians%202%20-%20Letter%20to%20SoS%20for%20DCMS.pdf

Ensuring the Met’s Full Cooperation with the Inquiry into Issues Raised by the Conviction of Wayne Couzens

Caroline Pidgeon: The Daniel Morgan Independent Panel said “there was not insignificant obstruction to the Panel’s work. At times the contact between the Panel and the Metropolitan Police resembled police contact with litigants rather than with a body established by the Home Secretary to enquire into the case.” Will you be ensuring that the Met cooperates fully and as openly as possible with the non-statutory inquiry into the issues raised by the conviction of Wayne Couzens, given the criticism directed at the Met by the Daniel Morgan Panel?

The Mayor: The Met Commissioner has assured me that the MPS will fully support and cooperate with the Home Office inquiry.

The Met’s Full Response to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel Report

Caroline Pidgeon: It has been over five months since the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel published their final report. When will the Met be publishing a full and detailed response to all the recommendations and concerns raised in the report?

The Mayor: The Daniel Morgan Independent Panel report made 23 recommendations and numerous observations. The MPS has primacy for nine of the recommendations. The other recommendations fall within the remit of strategic partners, including College of Policing, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Home Office and Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO).
The MPS isactively engaging and working with the lead agency for each recommendation to ensure effective consideration and action as appropriate. An interim report of activity is currently in preparation, with an anticipated completion date of January 2022.
The final report will additionally incorporate the ongoing HMICFRS inspection of the MPS and is therefore anticipated for Spring 2022.

Wandsworth one-way system

Leonie Cooper: Has Wandsworth council been in contact recently about the Wandsworth one way system and can you provide an update on the status of current plans?

The Mayor: Yes - Transport for London (TfL) officers meet regularly with counterparts from the London Borough of Wandsworth to discuss the Wandsworth one-way system project. TfL remains committed to continuing to work with the London Borough of Wandsworth to secure the Department for Transport’s Major Road Network funding to enable delivery of the scheme. Further alterations to the design are being discussed, with an updated business case expected in autumn 2022.

Waking Watch Relief Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from this fund to date? Please provide a breakdown since the funds began, showing the size of grant and date of grant award.

The Mayor: As at 11 November 2021, DLUHC has approved 24 grant payments from the Waking Watch Relief Fund totalling £2,762,110
Grant total (£)
Date of authorisation
£82,368
10/09/2021
£17,040
10/09/2021
£277,888
25/08/2021
£68,782
22/09/2021
£103,040
24/09/2021
£82,658
24/09/2021
£37,883
24/09/2021
£25,328
04/10/2021
£124,399
11/10/2021
£50,890
19/10/2021
£118,103
21/10/2021
£327,600
22/10/2021
£161,280
27/10/2021
£201,462
28/10/2021
£111,240
01/11/2021
£99,836
01/11/2021
£291,301
03/11/2021
£39,294
03/11/2021
£20,665
04/11/2021
£133,527
04/11/2021
£68,577
03/11/2021
£145,718
08/11/2021
£103,631
09/11/2021
£69,600
10/11/2021

Graffiti

Tony Devenish: In the last year, how many people have the Met caught defacing property with graffiti in Notting Hill?

The Mayor: The information is not available in the format requested.
Graffiti falls under the offence of criminal damage. To find out if graffiti was reported a case-by-case search of all such reports would be required.

Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm

Shaun Bailey: Can you provide an update on the work of your Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm?

The Mayor: London’s diversity is our greatest strength, yet many Londoners don’t see themselves reflected in our public realm. The range of people commemorated in our statues, memorials and buildings do not represent who we are.
The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm was established to review and improve diversity across London’s public realm. The commissioners were appointed in January 2021 and they have now met on five occasions.
Two groups have also been established to support their work – a Partners Board, including members such as Historic England, National Heritage Lottery fund and the Museum of London; and a Borough Working Group, with councils from across London.
The Commission has helped fund the first comprehensive audit of London’s public sculpture and monuments – part of national research conducted by Art UK. Published last month, its findings prove the stark lack of equality in our public realm.
Our public realm does not reflect or represent the achievements of everybody who has contributed to the success of our city in our long history, and we’ve just launched a £1 million Untold Stories grants fund to begin to address this. The fund will support communities who would like to celebrate important themes, events, or historical figures that have so far been overlooked or ignored – through, for example, a new mural, plaque or a local history project.
The fund was designed with the Commission members, the Partners Board and Borough Working Group, and through extensive community consultation.

Let’s Do London winter period

Marina Ahmad: How will your Let’s Do London programme support the Central Activities Zone during this winter period?

The Mayor: On 17 November I launched my Let’s Do LondonWinter Lightsseason, designed to drawvisitors andLondonersto the Central Activities Zone and support the capital’s creative, retail and hospitality sectors which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
From the awe-inspiring Borealis installation, to festive lights adorning the city’s streets, Winter Lights will encourage Londoners, visitors and tourists back to the city centre to take advantage of our world class shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, museums, galleries, festivals and events.In doing so, it will support our businesses, cultural venues and attractions, and help our city’s economic recovery.
The Let’s Do London campaign has attracted £70 million of spending to London’s leisure, retail, culture and hospitality sectors, and 280,000 visitors to the capital. Despite the challenges we’re facing, I am confident the excitement and buzz of central London will endure, and people will continue to return.

Making London’s High Street More Attractive to Older People

Hina Bokhari: Older Londoners play an important part in London’s economy, particularly on our high streets, with research from Homes For Later Living showing 80% of people in retirement flats use shops daily. What are you doing to ensure London’s high streets are more welcoming and attractive to older Londoners?

The Mayor: The London Plan emphasises the need for t inclusive town centre environments that meet the needs of all Londoners, including older Londoners. This may include shopmobility schemes, suitably designed crossing points, dropped kerbs and tactile paving, seating and public toilets.
Approximately £42 million of my Good Growth Fund has been allocated to regenerate town centres and high streets across London. Projects such as Kingsley Hall and Holborn House secured Good Growth Fund investment in the refurbishment and extension of existing facilities to support integration across generations.
My Night Time Enterprise Zone pilot project, which ran in Walthamstow in 2019, engaged with a number of groups, including older people, to ensure that their views and experiences of the high street at night were considered.
In March, I launched the High Streets for All Challenge, inviting local partnerships to respond to the challenges faced by high streets and town centres. Many of these proposals set out to support older people and explore how high streets can tackle loneliness and promote intergenerational exchange.

VAWG prevention work (2)

Unmesh Desai: How many night-time economy venues e.g., pubs, bars, nightclubs has the Ask for Angela training been delivered to across London? If possible please provide details of those venues that are now participating.

The Mayor: The MPS offer WAVE (Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement training), which includes training and support of the Ask for Angela initiative. Since its relaunch in August 2021, 420 premises have received the training. The most recent events in Newham saw over 100 people trained over two sessions. SaferSounds, who deliver Ask for Angela in conjunction with the MPS, retain specific information on trained individuals.

Swimming Pools in London

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you share my concerns over the decreasing provision of swimming facilities in London and how are you working with boroughs and central government to ensure more public swimming pools are being built and maintained and that funding is made available for this to happen across the capital?

The Mayor: I believe passionately in the power of sport and physical activity to improve Londoners’ physical and mental health. It is vital that, regardless of circumstance, all Londoners can access free or low-cost local sport and leisure facilities, including swimming pools, to enrich their experiences of living and working in our city.
The build and maintenance of swimming pools in London does not fall under the remit of the Mayor, and the provision of public swimming facilities is the responsibility of the boroughs. My sport team works closely with the regional Active Partnership, London Sport, whose new strategy is aligned to my own and includes an objective to increase the use of built spaces such as leisure facilities by priority groups and communities.
Since 2018 my community sport investment programme, Sport Unites, has engaged more than 45,000 Londoners in positive sporting participation, benefiting their physical health, holistic wellbeing and life skills and opportunities. I am committed to continuing this work with a specific focus on children and young people, particularly those who are vulnerable and have been worst affected by the pandemic.

Unsatisfactory performance of Met officers (1)

Unmesh Desai: How any officers have received disciplinary action as a result of unsatisfactory performance and how many have been dismissed in each of the last 4 years?

The Mayor: The Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures (UPP) is a formal three stage process. At UPP1 and UPP2 Written Improvement Notices are issued outlining the performance which requires improvement and corresponding timescales. If satisfactory improvements are not made, the next stage of the process is initiated and may at the third stage (UPP3) result in dismissal.
Three officers were dismissed following a UPP3 meeting in FY 18/19. There have been no subsequent UPP dismissals.

Seaside and Country Homes Scheme (2)

Sem Moema: What plans do you have to expand the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme? Could this help free up social housing to help alleviate the boroughs’ waiting lists?

The Mayor: My team regularly engage with landlords with properties outside London that might be suitable for Londoners applying to the Seaside & Country Homes (SCH) scheme. Links have been established with Bridge Housing Solutions, Sanctuary Housing and Chelmer Housing Partnership, all of which have all successfully let properties to SCH applicants this year. The landlords of the SCH property portfolio also on occasion offer additional properties from their own stock. As a result, the scheme is able to assist more Londoners to move, freeing up more social rented homes for London families in need.

AELTC

Leonie Cooper: The All-England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has published plans for substantial changes that would have a significant impact on the local area. Have they entered discussions with the GLA Planning Team, especially over traffic and environmental impacts?

The Mayor: The stage 1 referral was considered on 1 November. In relation to transport and environmental impacts the report concluded that further details relating to the trip generation, highway and public transport impact assessment are required, as is justification for the proposed on-site staff car parking. Mitigation to support a shift towards active travel should also be secured, including a contribution towards the future expansion of the Cycle Hire scheme. Other issues on sustainable development and environment also require resolution prior to stage 2 decision-making.

Risk assessment for disabled people affected by surface water flooding

Zack Polanski: You have stated that over 200,000 properties are at risk of surface water flooding in London. What assessment have you made of the proportion of people in these properties who would be more vulnerable, such as disabled people or older people, and how are you addressing their risks in your resilience planning?

The Mayor: Each London Borough is responsible for producing a Multi-Agency Flood Plan which sets out the response to an incident and includes the identification of vulnerable people. Boroughs know the locations of Sensitive Centres of Population such as care homes or locations with a concentrated number of vulnerable people.
The identification of vulnerable people during incidents, including flooding – takes place during an incident. Decisions are then made on how best to support these residents. My London Resilience Group produces guidance for boroughs on identifying vulnerable people during and incident to support this. Where support is required for vulnerable people during a flooding incident, this is discussed with multi-agency partners to identify the best course of action and which partners to involve.
As one of the actions coming from my roundtables on flooding, London resilience partners are reviewing incident response plans and vulnerable people will form part of this.

Access to gyms and swimming pools

Caroline Russell: A constituent has raised with me an issue with changes brought in at their local borough gym, which restrict swimming slots to 45 minutes, without an equivalent reduction in price. Given the need to keep Londoners healthy after multiple lockdowns, do you support exercise facilities safely removing these expensive restrictions?

The Mayor: The use of public leisure facilities, including programming and pricing, is the responsibility of the boroughs and does not fall under my remit as Mayor.
The pandemic has had an adverse effect on all Londoners, but restrictions have only served to exacerbate the challenges faced by some of our most vulnerable citizens in leading or maintaining an active life. I believe passionately in the role of sport and physical activity in people’s resilience and positive mental health. Through my community sport investment programme, Sport Unites, I am committed to supporting the provision of affordable and accessible engagement in activity for those who need it the most.
However, we must balance this with full consideration of Londoners’ safety, with businesses and services continuing to take the necessary precautions, including social distancing and other limitations, to protect people when they come together. Clearly Covid-19 has not gone away, and we all have a vital part to play in keeping ourselves and others safe through the winter and beyond.

Encouraging businesses to reduce employee domestic flights

Zack Polanski: The Government has announced that it will require large businesses and financial institutions to publish plans in line with their 2050 net-zero target. Would you encourage businesses in London to follow your and the GLA’s lead in putting in place policies to reduce any domestic flights to a minimum and encourage alternative approaches, such as using trains and using video conferencing?

The Mayor: Yes, I welcome this step from the UK Government. The pandemic has shown that much of our work can be done remotely. Businesses have a role to play in reducing our emissions from transport and travel.
However, the government could do a lot more itself to curb aviation emissions, including updating the Airports National Policy Statement, which currently gives a green light for expansion. And they should not have cut the rate of passenger duty on domestic flights in the budget, as this gives the wrong signal to businesses and individuals when we need to encouraging more sustainable modes of transport.
London Businesses, such as my London Climate Business Leaders are leading the way, developing climate strategies that incentivises staff and customers to adopt low emissions transport.
My Business Climate Guidance provides guidance and links to resources on reducing emissions from travel, including reducing air travel, encouraging active travel and virtual meetings.

Households at risk of surface water flooding by borough

Zack Polanski: You have stated that over 200,000 properties are at risk of surface water flooding in London. Can you break down this figure by borough, and whether such properties are residential or commercial?

The Mayor: The Environment Agency (EA) do not have this data available broken down by borough but confirm the figures in the London Environment Strategy in table below remain current for London.
Residential
Commercial
High – 68,499
High – 12,148
Medium – 164,546
Medium – 25,623
In 2014 when the EA first published surface water figures it was agreed with DEFRA not to count or share estimates of the breakdown by smaller areas including by LLFA/LA area as they would be misleading and unreliable. This was due to uncertainties including assumptions about property type and in the surface water flood modelling when cut to the local scale.
Accurate surface water mapping for individual councils is currently being updated via the EA’s Boosting Action on Surface Water project. This will update national mapping and is estimated to be published in the middle of 2022. The EA state that updated data will give a better understanding of surface water flood risk at local authority level, using new local detailed modelling and mapping of the risk.

No new incinerators after new WHO guidelines

Zack Polanski: The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued updated guidelines on air pollution, which take the guideline limit for the smallest particulate matter down to 5 µg/m3. Do you agree that this further reinforces the case against incineration within urban areas, and the need to stop any increase in London’s incineration capacity and use?

The Mayor: I have always been clear that I oppose new incineration capacity in London, which is not needed to manage the city’s non-recyclable waste.
I am also clear that I am committed to meeting the new WHO targets as soon as possible, and that this will require coordinated action from all levels of government.
This also means that London’s incinerators must minimise their environmental impact by only managing truly non-recyclable waste, maximising both the heat and electricity generated (which displaces other sources of emissions) and operating to the most stringent air quality standards possible.

Recycling and reuse of City Hall furniture and fixings

Zack Polanski: What volume of potential waste, by type, from the City Hall relocation has been redirected from landfill to recycling and reuse?

The Mayor: Relating to the City Hall relocation project up to and including 10 November 2021, potential waste has been redirected from landfill as detailed below:
The above initiatives have resulted in 0% to landfill to date.

London Power support for Londoners

Zack Polanski: What has London Power done to support Londoners affected by rising energy prices this winter?

The Mayor: The current high energy prices are a worry for many Londoners. However, London Power customers on fixed price contracts are protected from price rises for the duration of their contract. When these end, customers will be rolled over to the cheapest similar tariff, which this winter might be a variable price plan. Given the current high market prices, we recommend Londoners stick with their current supplier for the next few months until the market recovers. Londoners should keep an eye on energy prices in the Spring to see if they can save when the price cap goes up.. Currently, Londoners on pre-payment meters may be able to save money by switching to London Power.
In addition, London Power offers the £140 Warm Homes Discount bill credit to eligible households this winter. We also provide payment flexibility to households, allowing them to change payment dates to manage their budget and providing emergency credit when required, to ensure no one goes off supply. Where customers are struggling with debt, our customer service team can refer households to the Mayor’s Warmer Homes Advice Service for support.

Increasing your powers over environment policies

Zack Polanski: Recent events, including flooding, have highlighted the need for more strategic powers in London to respond to the climate emergency and other environmental challenges. What progress have you made in gaining extra powers for your office and GLA agencies over environment policies?

The Mayor: The nature of the climate and ecological emergencies mean that the solutions are many and varied and require multiple stakeholders. But I am doing everything that I can with my existing powers, and co-ordinating activity with others, for example, through the London Recovery Board. Where I don’t have powers I am convening stakeholders to tackle issues together, as an example I am bringing together stakeholders including the Environment Agency, Thames Water, London Councils and London boroughs to tackle surface water flooding.
I continue to urge government, both as London Mayor but also in partnership with London stakeholders, Metropolitan Mayors (M10) and the UK100 Cities network, to either act in the areas they control, such as setting strong decarbonisation requirements for buildings, as this will benefit the whole of the UK; or to devolve the powers and funding needed by regional and local governments so they can lead the charge against climate change.
I asked government for funding through the Comprehensive Spending Review so we can do even more, such as electrifying the bus fleet, retrofitting our building stock and installing sustainable drainage systems.

Progress towards targets for waste (2)

Zack Polanski: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/2258. What impact on waste do you expect the Food Flagship Initiative to have over the three years it is funded to last for?

The Mayor: The Food Flagship Initiative (FFI) is a programme to design and deliver ambitious evidence-based interventions and form a consortium of key players leading the circular economy transition in the food value-chain for London.
Using the recently published Material Flow Analysis by ReLondon, the FFI will identify hotspots and leverage points to reduce consumption-based emissions and food waste and losses in London’s food system.
At COP26 I committed to convene a round table of the key actors in the supply chain and develop an action plan to food waste and consumption-based emissions. This combined approach of convening, demonstration, food waste reduction intervention delivery and advocacy will have an impact on reducing food waste along the supply chain, increasing inedible food waste recycling and promoting sustainable and healthy diets.

London tourism in 2022

Marina Ahmad: A recent survey by Opodo showed that London ranked the second most popular destination in the world for bookings in 2022. How will you capitalise on this increase in bookings to support London’s economy?

The Mayor: One in seven jobs in London are in culture and hospitality (one in five including retail), so increasing numbers of international tourists will be hugely welcome to businesses in these sectors and will secure jobs in the capital.
My business growth and destination agency, London & Partners, is working closely with industry to build on the success of the ‘Let’s Do London’ domestic tourism campaign; and plan how we target and maximise the number of international visitors to London who will deliver the highest amounts of expenditure.
London & Partners will continue to promote a wealth of London attractions via their flagship Visit London website, Visit London app and through social media channels to encourage international visitors to explore and increase their spend on these attractions, and bars, restaurants and retailers in the capital.

Seaside and Country Homes Scheme (1)

Sem Moema: How many Londoners have you helped to move to free up social housing as part of your Seaside and Country Homes Scheme? Is it possible for you to provide a breakdown by year?

The Mayor: Please see below the breakdown by year. Since 2016/17 my mobility team have let 773 properties releasing a similar number of homes in London.
Year
Number of lets
2016/17
110
2017/18
105
2018/19
142
2019/20
169
2020/21
144
2021/22
103 (to 30 September 2021)

Safety in the Night-Time Economy

Marina Ahmad: What action are you taking to ensure the safety of Londoners who are returning to London’s night-time economy this autumn/winter?

The Mayor: The safety of Londoners is my top priority. It’s important that everyone, especially women and girls, are kept safe and feel safe at night, whether they are working, travelling or enjoying our night-time venues.
Following record levels of City Hall investment, and the partial reversal of Government cuts, the number of police officers in the Metropolitan Police has risen to over 33,000. 500 of these officers will form the new Town Centre Teams and a further 150 will be deployed as additional DWOs into the busiest wards. Each of the 12 BCUs across London will have a least one Town Centre Team. These are welcome additions to frontline policing and their work in town centres will no doubt benefit a wide variety of Londoners who are returning to London’s night-time economy.
The Commissioner and I have also been working together with criminal justice partners and businesses to deliver a programme of crime reduction and prevention during the autumn. This includes the refreshed Ask for Angela campaign and Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement training for frontline venue staff, as well as encouraging venues to sign up to my Women’s Night Safety Charter.

Business rates

Marina Ahmad: What impact will the changes to business rates announced in the Autumn Budget 2021 have on London’s businesses and economy?

The Mayor: The Autumn Budget announcement of a50 per cent reduction on business rates for smaller businesses in 2022-23 will help our smaller shops, bars, restaurants, and leisure sectors.
However, as the British Retail Consortium have noted, the cap on the relief at £110k per business will be of limited value for large national operators and chains, and also for some smaller businesses in London where valuations are significantly outdated.
I am concerned that a return to fullrates in March 2022 will be too hard for businesses in the capital that struggled to survive the pandemic. The next revaluation is not due to be implemented until 2023; and it is unclear at this stage what the impact will be on London.
I therefore continue to call for London to have a greater role over the setting and retention of business rates - a devolved system will best support economic growth.

Autumn Budget 2021

Marina Ahmad: Does the Chancellor’s Budget do enough to support London’s economy?

The Mayor: The Chancellor’s Budget and Spending Review takes London for granted and will not deliver the support and investment the economy requires to recover from the pandemic.
It fails to provide the funding the city needs to keep Londoners safe, deliver affordable housing, support job creation, tackle poor air quality, meet the ambition needed to achieve net zero and address the climate crisis.
In particular, I am concerned that no new funding was announced for TfL. With the current settlement expiring on December 11, this uncertainty could have severe consequences for the economy during one of our busiest periods. Without urgent investment we risk significant cuts to services, vital asset replacement and maintenance. The Government should have taken this opportunity to devolve the money Londoners pay in Vehicle Excise Duty to the capital, which would have provided a lifeline for our transport system.

The Mayor: The Chancellor’s Budget and Spending Review takes London for granted and will not deliver the support and investment the economy requires to recover from the pandemic.
It fails to provide the funding the city needs to keep Londoners safe, deliver affordable housing, support job creation, tackle poor air quality, meet the ambition needed to achieve net zero and address the climate crisis.
In particular, I am concerned that no new funding was announced for TfL. With the current settlement expiring on December 11, this uncertainty could have severe consequences for the economy during one of our busiest periods. Without urgent investment we risk significant cuts to services, vital asset replacement and maintenance. The Government should have taken this opportunity to devolve the money Londoners pay in Vehicle Excise Duty to the capital, which would have provided a lifeline for our transport system.

COVID-19 support for businesses

Marina Ahmad: We need to ensure a fine balance between keeping Londoners safe and supporting London’s economy which provides jobs. What support do London’s businesses require during this winter period as the COVID-19 rates are increasing again to achieve this?

The Mayor: We do need to monitor covid case rates carefully this winter; which remain higher than we want. I’ve called on the Government to take action to slow the spread of the virus – including making the mandatory wearing of face coverings enforceable on all public transport and providing the support needed to improve ventilation in crowded places.
My Deputy Mayor for Business and I engage regularly with businesses and listen to their concerns, both individually and through bodies such as the London Covid Business Forum, my Business Advisory Board, and the London Economic Action Partnership.
I continue to support businesses through my London Business Hub and other business support programmes. The Business Hub includes a Covid-19 hub that holds information to help businesses work safely during the pandemic (see https://www.businesshub.london/)
Most London Business Hub programmes can be accessed virtually. Advisers support businesses on subjects including mental health and well-being, cyber security and business continuity planning.

Workforce Integration Network (2)

Krupesh Hirani: How many people have been supported through the Workforce Integration Network (WIN)
programme in Brent and Harrow so far?

The Mayor: I am committed to supporting all underrepresented Londoners to access high quality employment opportunities. WIN interventions are aimed at helping employers change policies, practices and cultures within their business which prevent certain groups from entering and progressing. By facilitating system-led change, WIN is supporting a fairer recovery to a city where all Londoners can thrive.
The Workforce Integration Network (WIN) was established in 2018. In its first phase, the programmefocuseson young Black men(between16 and 24) and is London wide. We do not collect data on addresses of participants. To date WIN has engaged over 250 businesses in the technology and construction sectors through a series of eventsand 2000 young people across London seeking to work in the sectors through jobs fairs. Twenty leading construction and infrastructure businesses have been involved in our year-long intensive Design Labsrepresenting a workforce of 100,000 in London.

Young Londoners and the London Living Wage

Marina Ahmad: How many Londoners aged 22 and under are paid below the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: According to Living Wage Foundation analysis of the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, there were around 71,000 jobs with pay less than the London Living Wage held by employees aged 18-21 in London in April 2021. It estimates that 67.4% of employee jobs held by this age group were paid under the London Living Wage rate.
I am clear that the government’s National Living Wage for 23 years and older is not sufficient to meet the cost of living in London. The London Living Wage is the only rate independently calculated to ensure workers of all ages earn enough to lead a decent standard of living. I call on all employers to join the 2,400 London organisations that are accredited with the Living Wage Foundation.

Knife Crime in Brent

Krupesh Hirani: How many knife crime incidents have been recorded in Brent in each of the last five years?

The Mayor: The requested information is published by the Metropolitan Police Service as part of their ‘Hate Crime or Special Crime Dashboard’ - https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/hate-crime-dashboard/ with the underlying data available via the London Data Store - https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/mps-hate-crime-or-special-crime-dashboard-data.

Violence against sex workers

Andrew Boff: For each year, Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21, how many sex workers have been the victim of violence in London?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.
It should also be noted that this information relates to where the occupation of the victim is recorded as ‘Sex Worker’. However, Victim Occupation is not a mandatory field in the crime recording system, so this information may not provide a full representation of victims.

The Mayor: MQ 2021_4462 Sex Worker Victims (1).xlsx

Londoners’ daily active travel

Caroline Russell: The update for your Health Inequalities Strategy implementation plan shows that 42 per cent of Londoners undertake 20 minutes of active travel daily, up three per cent from 2018-19. What is your target for the percentage of Londoners achieving this level of activity in 2022-23 and 2023-24?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy sets out the ambition that by 2041 all Londoners will do the 20 minutes of active travel per day they need to stay healthy, known as the ‘Active People’ target. This is measured using The London Travel Demand Survey.
Prior to the pandemic the Active People target increased for two consecutive years from 38 per cent in 2017/18, to 39 per cent in 2018/19 and 42 per cent in 2019/20. However, levels fell during the pandemic to 35 per cent in 2020/21, as people responded to the various lockdown restrictions. There are no targets set for 2022-23 and 2023-24, but it is clearly more important than ever that we accelerate the implementation of Healthy Streets delivery to increase the proportion of Londoners achieving 20 minutes of active travel per day, addressing the health inequalities highlighted and exacerbated by the pandemic and reducing harmful emissions from private vehicles.

Agent of Change Principle

Sakina Sheikh: How has your Agent of Change Principle in the 2021 London Plan helped to protect existing venues from new developments to an area since its introduction?

The Mayor: The Agent of Change policy is firmly embedded in London’s planning policy framework through the London Plan. It is understood that boroughs are implementing this policy effectively where proposed developments have the potential to generate new conflicts between uses. Where these applications are referrable to me as the Mayor, the policy is also applied as part of my processes.

Community Ownership

Sakina Sheikh: Are you taking any steps to support communities who wish to take over ownership of local amenities, such as a local pub?

The Mayor: As per my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/4278, I have written previously about the Government’s Community Ownership Fund and my support for increasing the maximum grant available for projects in London. The market property price in the capital is clearly prohibitive, excluding communities from this fund.
My Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme is actively supporting communities seeking to take ownership of the local amenities they value and love. The programme provides one-on-one business support as well as training opportunities for organisations looking to protect existing or access new premises across London.
Recently, we have supported community efforts to take over ownership of the Black Cap in Camden as well as the Ravensbourne Arms in Lewisham. We have also supported Croydon Youth Theatre as they seek to complete a Community Asset Transfer process with Croydon Council.

Operational lead for Vision Zero at the Metropolitan Police

Caroline Russell: Who is the operational lead within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) for Vision Zero, accountable for delivery across the service on your policy?

The Mayor: Superintendent Dan Card is the Vison Zero Operational lead for the Metropolitan Police Service.
His current role is the road policing Superintendent at MO8 – Roads and Transport Policing Command.

Meanwhile use of the current City Hall building

Caroline Russell: What are you doing to encourage the meanwhile use of the City Hall building, for community, cultural and educational benefit, after we leave and before any new tenants arrive? Managing this could be usefully entrusted by our landlords to a local community organisation, such as Living Bankside, and you are the right person to facilitate such discussions between these parties.

The Mayor: The GLA has exercised the lease break and will be handing the property back to the landlord on the 24th December 2021, at which point legally the GLA has no course of redress or influence over how the landlord will operate on the site.City Hall is a complex and expensive building to run and ensure the safety of all those within it. While I am supportive of meanwhile uses for vacant buildings, it would not seem to be well suited for this purpose.

Pub Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sakina Sheikh: Further to 2021/1810, does the GLA know many pubs have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The Mayor: This is not data the GLA currently holds but work is underway to update the annual audit of pubs in London, to help analyse changes in numbers of pubs.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on London’s pubs. My London Plan gives the strongest ever protection to London’s pubs encouraging boroughs to protect them and by introducing the Agent of Change principle, which requires that new developments near pubs minimise the impact of noise through adequate soundproofing.
In 2019, I launched the first ever Cultural Infrastructure Plan and Map for London which records numbers of cultural venues and facilities and sets out what is needed to protect and grow them. This data informed my £2.3 million Culture at Risk Business Support Fund, which helped protect 125 businesses during the pandemic. This included grassroots music venues and LGBTQ+ venues, which are often situated in pubs. My expanded Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office has supported over 850 businesses since March 2020.

Theatre Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sakina Sheikh: Further to 2021/1809, does the GLA know many theatres have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The Mayor: The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on London’s theatres, forcing them to close. My expanded Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office has supported over 850 businesses since March 2020, including theatres. We’ve also worked with our partners at the Theatres Trust to safeguard London’s theatres throughout the crisis.
In 2019, I launched the first ever Cultural Infrastructure Plan and Map for London which records numbers of cultural venues and facilities and sets out what is needed to protect and grow them. This data enabled my team to respond to the crisis with a targeted £2.3 million Culture at Risk Business Support Fund, which has supported over 125 businesses.
The impact of the pandemic on the cultural sector and infrastructure is expected to be ongoing for some time. A data update to the Cultural Infrastructure Map is currently underway which will help us to analyse closures and changes to London’s cultural infrastructure, including theatre numbers. This will be released in spring of next year.

Industrial Land LPG

Sakina Sheikh: Will you produce a London Plan Guidance document for industrial land?

The Mayor: Yes, my officers are preparing London Plan Guidance for Industrial Land. This will be published for consultation next year.

Restaurant Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sakina Sheikh: Does the GLA know many restaurants have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The Mayor: It is not known how many London restaurant closures can be attributed to the pandemic. But it is undisputed that many hospitality businesses struggled to survive the recent covid lockdowns and restrictions; and that sadly some did not.
Even though restaurants can now trade without restrictions, it remains an incredibly challenging time for the hospitality sector, particularly in central London. The capital’s restaurants, cafes and bars have accrued considerable debt during the Covid-19 pandemic and are now faced with rising costs, reduced footfall, supply chain issues and ongoing shortages of skilled staff which limit their capacity to operate at full strength.
That is why I have continued to urge the Government for appropriate measures to support a sustainable recovery of the sector. My Let’s Do London campaign encourages people to return to central London, with a particular focus on the upcoming festive season.

Nightclub Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sakina Sheikh: Further to 2021/1812, does the GLA know many nightclubs have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The Mayor: The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on London’s nightclubs. They were among the first businesses to close and were the last to reopen. They are now playing an important role in the city’s economic and social recovery.
In 2019, I launched the first ever Cultural Infrastructure Plan and Map for London, recording the number of cultural venues and setting out what is needed to protect and grow them. This data informed my £2.3 million Culture at Risk Business Support Fund, which supported over 125 businesses. I also successfully lobbied for nightclubs to be included in the government's £1.6 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
A data update to the Cultural Infrastructure Map is currently underway. This will analyse closures across London's cultural infrastructure, and nightclubs will be monitored as part of one of the larger data sets which includes music venues and LGBTQ+ venues. This will be released in spring of next year.

Faith institution Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sakina Sheikh: Does the GLA know many faith institutions have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The Mayor: My Community Engagement Team have good contact with faith partners in London. We are currently not aware of any faith institutions which have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The GLA have not received any information or data from local authorities, government or otherwise on faith institution closures.

Consultations on new developments

Nicholas Rogers: Will you be improving consultation with residents and communities on new developments?

The Mayor: For the vast majority of planning applications, the responsibility for consultation rests with boroughs as the local planning authorities, who have to follow statutory processes. Additional engagement can be introduced alongside that – but it cannot replace those processes.
My team will be working with community groups and other stakeholders to look at how we consult and engage at City Hall, as well as how we can support and develop good practice across London. The GLA has already produced a handbook on the principles of community engagement more broadly, which will inform this work.
For applications where I am the Local Planning Authority, I will continue to hold hybrid hearings for call-ins to ensure as many Londoners as possible have access to the process. I am also producing guidance for developers on what is expected of them for all referable applications.
More widely, we carried out significant engagement over many months to involve a broad range of Londoners in the development of the London Plan, and we are doing even more on London Plan Guidance.
We also undertake extensive engagement with communities on Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks, including using pioneering digital platforms as well as hosting in-person events to reach as many residents and other stakeholders as possible.
We are looking to build on all this work, leading on the use of digital engagement platforms and exploring other solutions such as physical exhibit and engagement spaces known as urban rooms, to open up planning to more communities.

Wages

Marina Ahmad: The Annual Survey for Hours and Earnings (ASHE) showed London wages fell slightly faster than the UK national average, dipping only 0.6 per cent to £31,447 in the year to April. This survey also highlighted the disparity in pay across London with the highest pay in London earned by residents of Kensington & Chelsea, who made an average of £73,917 whereas the lowest was in Barking & Dagenham, where pay averaged £29,128. What action are you taking to support Londoners with increasing prices and declining wages?

The Mayor: I’m extremely concerned about the increasing challenges Londoners face in meeting their living costs. I’m committed to doing all I can to help them, especially those on the lowest incomes.
I’ll keep encouraging employers to sign up to the London Living Wage, which, unlike the National Minimum Wage, takes in to account the higher cost of living in London. I’m also investing more than £1.5million in my Advice in Community Settings programme which is connecting the most disadvantaged Londoners with support to maximise their incomes and reduce their debts.
To support Londoners at risk of fuel poverty this winter I’m providing grants of up to £5,500 to low-income households requiring energy efficiency improvements through my Warmer Homes Programme. My Warmer Homes Advice Service is also now open to support households facing high energy bills through telephone and in-home advice, support with energy debt and access to bill discounts.

Gender pay gap

Marina Ahmad: The Annual Survey for Hours and Earnings (ASHE) revealed a widening wide gender gap in London with average male pay standing at £50,592, down 0.1 per cent, with women on £33,413, down 2.9 per cent. For full-time workers men averaged £56,811 and women £42,081. What action are you taking to tackle the widening gender pay gap in London and what do you consider are the reasons for this increase?

The Mayor: The GLA is committed to reducing the gender pay gap. My Good Work Standard urges employers to publish action plans alongside gender and ethnicity pay gap reporting, and I lead by example by publishing action plans to reduce pay gaps for the GLA Group.
Due to the way these figures are calculated, particularly as data for 2020 and 2021 includes people on the furlough scheme, along with other labour market disruption, it is not possible to say with certainty whether these figures represent a real increase in the gender pay gap, as they fall within the range of the confidence intervals. Taking these into consideration and also looking at other measures, such as hourly pay rates, median as well as mean, the gender pay gap has been stable for London workers over the last decade.

Working conditions

Marina Ahmad: A survey from the TUC shows that one in four workers in the UK are thinking about leaving their jobs. How can you use your platform, and your Good Work Standard, to encourage employers in London to promote staff wellbeing and good working conditions?

The Mayor: I share your and the TUC’s concern that some Londoners continue to experience poor workplace conditions and practices. My Good Work Standard (GWS) sets the benchmark for best employment practice. It recognises employers at the leading edge of pay and conditions, workplace wellbeing, diversity and recruitment, and skills and progression.
The GWS promotes staff wellbeing by recognising those employers that value workforce dialogue through trade union engagement, have workplace wellbeing strategies in place, and that commit to make jobs flexible and policies family friendly. Good Work Standard employers report higher staff retention rates, fewer absences, higher employee engagement and workforce dialogue.
I encourage businesses of all sizes and sectors to sign up, and share resources, case studies and support with other employers like them.

London Living Wage and night workers

Marina Ahmad: How many Londoners that work at night are currently paid a) the London Living Wage, and b) below the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: This data is not routinely collected due to differences in the way in which night-time work is defined. However, the upcoming London as a Living Wage City programme will seek to understand the adoption of the Living Wage in the night-time economy in more detail, and bring together employers, workers and community groups to address low pay.
According to previous GLA Economics research, over 28% of employee jobs in night-time industries had hourly earnings below the then-London Living Wage rate of £9.75/hour in April 2017, against a London average of 19%.
London at Night – the evidence base for the work of the London Night-Time Commission – also estimated that, in 2017, almost twice as many employee jobs in night time occupations had hourly earnings below the London Living Wage rate (531,000) compared to employee jobs across all other occupations (275,000).

Pop-Up London

Marina Ahmad: How successful was Pop-Up London during 23 to 31 October 2021? How many Londoners were in attendance and how much money did it bring into London’s economy?

The Mayor: Pop Up London was a series of free public events staged as part of the ‘Let’s Do London’ domestic tourism campaign. It celebrated London’s grassroots talents with 200 artists performing in 100 events across nine days, over school half-term. Hip hop dance acts, musical comedy, storytelling, puppetry, circus skills and magic shows were promoted on VisitLondon.com. It also supported creative freelancers with paid work; before the pandemic, self-employed creatives and freelancers made up half of the jobs in the capital’s cultural and creative industries, but 60 per cent lost all of their work during the first lockdown.
Pop Up London was a great success in its goals to encourage footfall and spend in central London, with an estimated 100,000 people watching performances across the week. Of those aware of the festival prior to attending, 80% stated the performance influenced their decision to visit. The Let’s Do London campaign has added £70m spending to London’s economy.

Academy Hubs

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide an update on your Academy Hubs programme?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Academies Programme (MAP) is designed to help address skills shortages in sectors key to London’s recovery (creative, digital, green, health, social care and hospitality) and support Londoners most affected by the pandemic into good work. It has a number of strands: hubs, which build partnerships between organisations such as employers and training providers; Adult Education Budget funding for skills support resulting in employment; provider accreditation to recognise good quality training; bespoke support for excluded and underrepresented groups with the Workforce Integration Network; a communications campaign; and the possibility of capital funding, subject to availability.
The MAP hubs opportunity was launched in the summer and recommendations for funding are currently going through the approvals process. Successful hubs will be announced in January and proceed into grant by the end of the financial year.

Supporting Londoners into work

Marina Ahmad: In September, you announced a total package of £11m to help Londoners to gain qualifications and get jobs in the hospitality, digital, creative, green and health and social care sectors. How many Londoners are you expecting to support with this funding?

The Mayor: The funding announced relates to the Mayor’s Academies Programme which is designed to help address skills shortages in sectors that are key to London’s recovery (creative, digital, green, health, social care and hospitality) and support Londoners most affected by the pandemic into good work. It has a number of strands: hubs, which build partnerships between organisations such as employers and training providers; Adult Education Budget funding for employability focussed support resulting in employment; provider accreditation to recognise good quality training; bespoke support for excluded and underrepresented groups through the Workforce Integration Network; a communications campaign; and the possibility of capital funding, subject to availability.
Proposals from organisations looking to set up hubs are currently progressing through the approvals process, so it is not yet possible to quantify the number of Londoners who will be supported by the programme. This information will be subject to review during the pre-grant negotiations in Q4 2021/22.

London Transport and the Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review

Elly Baker: What funding, if any, was provided for transport in London in the recent Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review?

The Mayor: This Spending Review was the most important one in TfL’s history, but I’m afraid it failed to deliver for Londoners.
I have said time and time again that you can’t run an £8 billion public transport provider for a global megacity without knowing how it’s going to be funded in a few months’ time.
We had already cut costs and adjusted our Spending Review asks following the pandemic.TfL has cut annual running costs by £1 billion over the last five years and reduced its planned spending on enhancements by £5.7 billion over the next 10 years.
But the Spending Review provided none of the capital funding TfL asked for just to keep the network safe and running. All it did was re-confirm the funding TfL was already getting before the pandemic –which isn’t nearly enough to cover the losses from the pandemic or invest in our future.
If there is no adequate support in the next funding deal, the consequences will be severe. The current deal runs out on 11 December –meaning there are now just days left to agree funding certainty for TfL and safeguard London’s economic recovery.
The stakes could not be higher. Without further support, TfL would end up simply managing the decline of its network – an 18 per cent cut to buses, a 9 per cent cut to Tube services, no prospect of new trains on the Bakerloo line, no new signalling on the Piccadilly Line, and no more step free access schemes or cycle lanes beyond those where contracts have already been let.
Ultimately, I have to say to Government – you can’t cut your way out of this crisis. Of course, TfL has to reduce costs –and it has stepped up and done that. But this is public transport – it will always need support from Government. There isn’t a single public transport network in the world that is funded so overwhelmingly through passenger fares.
The Government is right to say that it wants other cities to have London-style services. But at this rate, London won’t have London-style services. The world-famous Tube and London buses could become bywords for decline.
And to be clear, this is not just about funding London. TfL is worth £7 billion to the UK economy and its supply chain creates 43,000 jobs around the country. There can be no national recovery from the pandemic without TfL helping London to recover.

Utilising 2021 Census data

Siân Berry: What use are you planning to make of the data from the 2021 Census data when it is released in 2022 to support your housing and planning policies, for example by assessing overcrowding and the need for larger homes?

The Mayor: The 2021 Census data will have a wide range of uses relevant to housing and planning policy. It will inform population and household projections, identify changes in the housing stock at neighbourhood level, and show how overcrowding and under-occupation have changed since 2011 in different parts of London and for the different groups within London’s population.

TfL Travel Mentoring Service (2)

Elly Baker: In October 2020 you said, “Due to COVID-19, TfL’s planned review of its travel mentoring programme was paused”. Can you update me on this planned review and publish a copy if it has now taken place?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is waiting until a clearer picture emerges of both post-pandemic demand and its long-term funding position before revisiting this review of the Travel Mentoring Service. I am pleased to say, however, that the service is operating much like it was before the pandemic and is meeting demand, although this is at reduced levels overall.

Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from these funds to date? Please provide a breakdown since the funds began, showing the size of grant; social or private residential; and month of grant award.

The Mayor: As of 10 November 2021, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has approved £149 million of funding for the remediation of buildings in London through the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund. 135 payments from the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund have been authorised. In total, £38,952,620 has been paid out to date.It should be noted that most buildings under this programme follow a monthly payment structure.
As of 10 November 2021, DLUHC has allocated £217 million for the remediation of buildings in London through the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund. 82 payments have been authorised. In total, £118,499,397 has been paid out to date. It should be noted that grant is paid in two tranches for this programme – 80 per cent and 20 per cent.
Please see tables below for a breakdown of grants paid.
Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund
Date of payment
Amount
Nov 8, 2021
66,911.00
Nov 2, 2021
3,726,434.00
Oct 29, 2021
296,609.00
Oct 28, 2021
98,446.00
Oct 26, 2021
292,717.00
Oct 26, 2021
473,140.00
Oct 14, 2021
231,154.00
Oct 13, 2021
457,867.00
Oct 13, 2021
33,954.00
Oct 13, 2021
90,905.00
Oct 12, 2021
1,425,239.00
Oct 12, 2021
598,835.00
Sep 27, 2021
372,572.00
Sep 27, 2021
59,827.00
Sep 27, 2021
538,554.00
Sep 27, 2021
65,955.00
Sep 24, 2021
496,415.00
Sep 17, 2021
28,035.00
Sep 17, 2021
631,964.00
Sep 15, 2021
118,574.00
Sep 15, 2021
326,796.00
Sep 10, 2021
348,000.00
Sep 8, 2021
79,367.00
Sep 7, 2021
103,114.00
Sep 3, 2021
53,697.00
Aug 27, 2021
316,107.00
Aug 26, 2021
104,896.00
Aug 24, 2021
625,538.00
Aug 24, 2021
1,007,969.00
Aug 20, 2021
1,478,152.00
Aug 20, 2021
504,627.00
Aug 19, 2021
44,340.00
Aug 9, 2021
39,042.00
Aug 9, 2021
118,254.00
Aug 2, 2021
157,345.00
Jul 29, 2021
98,336.00
Jul 23, 2021
268,384.00
Jul 23, 2021
225,152.00
Jul 22, 2021
200,939.00
Jul 22, 2021
76,445.00
Jul 21, 2021
557,934.00
Jul 21, 2021
112,461.00
Jul 21, 2021
99,144.00
Jul 21, 2021
104,251.00
Jul 21, 2021
301,750.00
Jul 21, 2021
51,411.00
Jul 21, 2021
74,093.00
Jul 21, 2021
52,045.00
Jul 21, 2021
47,339.00
Jul 19, 2021
250,560.00
Jul 14, 2021
156,612.00
Jul 8, 2021
173,869.00
Jul 8, 2021
29,443.00
Jun 25, 2021
103,889.00
Jun 23, 2021
971,835.00
Jun 23, 2021
36,540.00
Jun 23, 2021
295,500.00
Jun 23, 2021
189,704.00
Jun 23, 2021
280,000.00
Jun 21, 2021
184,050.00
Jun 21, 2021
88,000.00
Jun 17, 2021
187,336.00
Jun 15, 2021
214,509.00
Jun 15, 2021
540,752.00
Jun 10, 2021
242,312.00
Jun 10, 2021
217,896.00
Jun 8, 2021
104,057.00
Jun 3, 2021
109,596.00
Jun 3, 2021
29,142.00
Jun 3, 2021
151,808.00
May 26, 2021
160,189.00
May 24, 2021
55,400.00
May 21, 2021
270,742.00
May 20, 2021
234,719.00
May 20, 2021
640,155.00
May 20, 2021
45,100.00
May 14, 2021
3,054,706.00
May 12, 2021
160,957.00
May 10, 2021
439,000.00
May 6, 2021
171,394.00
May 6, 2021
57,800.00
May 5, 2021
195,903.00
Apr 29, 2021
147,108.00
Apr 28, 2021
37,477.00
Apr 26, 2021
49,061.00
Apr 22, 2021
524,280.00
Apr 21, 2021
87,823.00
Apr 9, 2021
238,772.00
Mar 30, 2021
408,133.00
Mar 30, 2021
411,243.00
Mar 26, 2021
486,220.00
Mar 24, 2021
57,718.00
Mar 23, 2021
113,315.00
Mar 19, 2021
119,802.00
Mar 19, 2021
229,933.00
Mar 19, 2021
110,557.00
Mar 2, 2021
28,061.00
Feb 25, 2021
128,737.00
Feb 23, 2021
71,731.00
Feb 18, 2021
491,348.00
Feb 18, 2021
181,811.00
Feb 12, 2021
104,911.00
Feb 11, 2021
50,122.00
Feb 11, 2021
296,996.00
Feb 10, 2021
42,364.00
Feb 5, 2021
16,645.00
Feb 2, 2021
76,721.00
Jan 20, 2021
569,928.00
Jan 19, 2021
48,717.00
Jan 7, 2021
78,004.00
Jan 6, 2021
400,000.00
Jan 6, 2021
773,872.00
Dec 23, 2020
393,143.00
Dec 21, 2020
119,920.00
Dec 17, 2020
429,780.00
Dec 11, 2020
140,530.00
Nov 27, 2020
154,978.00
Nov 11, 2020
606,704.00
Nov 11, 2020
429,000.00
Oct 28, 2020
313,654.00
Oct 27, 2020
87,973.00
Sep 28, 2020
194,841.00
Sep 15, 2020
141,400.00
Aug 26, 2020
202,574.00
Jul 27, 2020
274,822.00
Jul 20, 2020
19,000.00
Jul 16, 2020
160,000.00
Jul 3, 2020
12,563.00
Jul 3, 2020
209,382.00
Jul 1, 2020
409,384.00
Jun 24, 2020
60,000.00
May 22, 2020
211,821.00
Apr 16, 2020
25,104.00
Apr 14, 2020
200,631.00
Feb 3, 2020
49,496.00
Total
38,952,620.00
Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund
Date of payment
Amount
Jan 29, 2019
277,842.00
Feb 8, 2019
1,967,170.00
Feb 14, 2019
7,610,557.00
Feb 14, 2019
5,556,092.00
Feb 25, 2019
1,265,600.00
Mar 15, 2019
1,533,820.00
Mar 15, 2019
663,718.00
Mar 15, 2019
663,718.00
Mar 18, 2019
13,091,657.00
Mar 28, 2019
1,794,918.00
Mar 28, 2019
324,543.00
Mar 29, 2019
633,606.00
May 10, 2019
276,242.00
Apr 18, 2019
3,028,886.00
May 29, 2019
359,650.00
May 8, 2019
678,305.00
May 8, 2019
513,030.00
May 15, 2019
785,957.00
Jun 7, 2019
1,841,562.00
Dec 20, 2019
844,872.00
Dec 19, 2019
1,124,949.00
Dec 18, 2019
4,847,856.00
Dec 13, 2019
89,912.00
Nov 27, 2019
826,553.00
Nov 12, 2019
2,046,413.00
Nov 7, 2019
242,894.00
Nov 1, 2019
332,181.00
Nov 1, 2019
332,181.00
Oct 29, 2019
8,985,065.00
Oct 16, 2019
332,181.00
Oct 16, 2019
1,328,722.00
Oct 15, 2019
1,328,722.00
Oct 15, 2019
1,328,722.00
Oct 9, 2019
141,837.00
Oct 4, 2019
2,399,994.00
Oct 4, 2019
2,399,994.00
Oct 4, 2019
2,399,993.00
Oct 1, 2019
388,993.00
Mar 11, 2020
266,266.00
Mar 6, 2020
4,740,146.00
Mar 5, 2020
826,553.00
Feb 5, 2020
837,066.00
Feb 5, 2020
826,553.00
Jan 23, 2020
505,514.00
Jan 23, 2020
730,991.00
Jan 23, 2020
128,258.00
Aug 14, 2019
1,944,327.00
Jul 5, 2019
2,619,090.00
Jul 5, 2019
567,350.00
Jul 18, 2019
1,378,865.00
Jul 18, 2019
93,584.00
Jul 19, 2019
491,793.00
Apr 23, 2020
382,284.00
Jun 3, 2020
85,525.00
Jun 3, 2020
328,221.00
Jun 8, 2020
308,583.00
Sep 30, 2020
1,726,003.00
Sep 23, 2020
84,634.00
Sep 8, 2020
393,546.00
Aug 18, 2020
987,501.00
Aug 18, 2020
1,010,044.00
Aug 6, 2020
10,169.00
Jul 23, 2020
45,618.00
Jul 2, 2020
2,294,445.00
Dec 23, 2020
580,576.00
Dec 23, 2020
517,709.00
Feb 16, 2021
2,380,000.00
Mar 10, 2021
1,002,458.00
Mar 24, 2021
155,089.00
Mar 26, 2021
588,396.00
Mar 26, 2021
144,044.00
Mar 30, 2021
3,588,224.00
Mar 30, 2021
165,930.00
Mar 30, 2021
383,455.00
Mar 30, 2021
165,930.00
Apr 15, 2021
103,440.00
Apr 28, 2021
588,396.00
Apr 28, 2021
144,044.00
Jun 18, 2021
459,841.00
Sep 10, 2021
8,657,574.00
Sep 30, 2021
356,052.00
Sep 20, 2021
316,403.00
Total
118,499,397.00

Building Safety Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from this fund to date? Please provide a breakdown since the funds began, showing the size of grant and date of grant award.

The Mayor: As at 9 November 2021, DLUHC has approved 85 grant payments from the Building Safety Fund totalling £52,159,284. This consists of £45,423,412 in pre-tender support, and £6,735,872 as the first payment of the Grant Funding Agreement.
Please see table below for a breakdown.
Grant total (£)
Date of authorisation
167,267.00
Oct 15, 2020
515,104.00
Dec 9, 2020
571,988.00
Jan 7, 2021
219,898.00
Jan 11, 2021
1,764,874.00
Jan 13, 2021
463,175.00
Jan 22, 2021
455,989.00
Jan 27, 2021
131,519.00
Feb 4, 2021
628,330.00
Feb 12, 2021
60,301.00
Feb 24, 2021
323,825.00
Feb 24, 2021
1,801,940.00
Feb 25, 2021
465,657.00
Feb 25, 2021
227,348.00
Feb 25, 2021
274,178.00
Feb 25, 2021
230,728.00
Mar 8, 2021
479,823.00
Mar 10, 2021
372,809.00
Mar 11, 2021
398,934.00
Mar 17, 2021
728,716.00
Mar 17, 2021
88,023.00
Mar 30, 2021
460,607.00
Mar 30, 2021
347,273.00
Apr 6, 2021
916,157.00
Apr 7, 2021
207,214.00
Apr 8, 2021
1,105,267.00
Apr 8, 2021
944,089.00
Apr 14, 2021
720,162.00
Apr 14, 2021
235,571.00
Apr 16, 2021
2,220,132.00
Apr 16, 2021
1,083,674.00
Apr 19, 2021
470,328.00
Apr 21, 2021
292,957.00
Apr 21, 2021
212,888.00
May 5, 2021
80,956.00
May 7, 2021
1,388,588.00
May 14, 2021
1,798,652.00
May 19, 2021
157,071.00
May 19, 2021
246,495.00
May 24, 2021
1,003,815.00
Jun 4, 2021
228,782.00
Jun 8, 2021
783,091.00
Jun 11, 2021
91,918.00
Jun 15, 2021
335,660.00
Jun 16, 2021
170,400.00
Jun 21, 2021
628,113.00
Jun 28, 2021
162,337.00
Jun 28, 2021
142,199.00
Jun 30, 2021
1,132,684.00
Jul 8, 2021
110,111.00
Jul 15, 2021
375,402.00
Jul 23, 2021
393,939.00
Jul 23, 2021
267,276.00
Jul 27, 2021
497,725.00
Jul 28, 2021
495,864.00
Jul 28, 2021
215,192.00
Jul 28, 2021
472,520.00
Jul 28, 2021
425,443.00
Jul 28, 2021
100,000.00
Aug 4, 2021
311,927.00
Aug 10, 2021
314,659.00
Aug 11, 2021
279,364.00
Aug 12, 2021
1,427,461.00
Aug 17, 2021
889,482.00
Aug 24, 2021
606,617.00
Aug 24, 2021
4,613,623.00
Aug 24, 2021
2,369,705.00
Sep 15, 2021
558,041.00
Sep 15, 2021
288,281.00
Sep 20, 2021
154,202.00
Sep 20, 2021
1,051,044.00
Sep 23, 2021
224,842.00
Sep 23, 2021
159,707.00
Sep 24, 2021
1,335,694.00
Sep 24, 2021
655,880.00
Sep 29, 2021
308,483.00
Sep 30, 2021
1,458,594.00
Sep 30, 2021
195,232.00
Oct 7, 2021
407,506.00
Oct 11, 2021
1,018,784.00
Oct 12, 2021
200,867.00
Oct 19, 2021
239,337.00
Oct 25, 2021
513,355.00
Oct 25, 2021
593,917.00
Oct 25, 2021
691,702.00
Oct 28, 2021

Step-Free Access at Hounslow Central Station

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide an update on progress towards achieving full step-free access at Hounslow Central Station.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not currently have plans to install step-free access at this station.
Around 34 per cent of the Tube network will be step-free by the end of 2022, with upgraded stations including Harrow-on-the-Hill, Sudbury Hill, Knightsbridge and Moorgate. Additional step-free schemes being explored beyond 2022 are subject to appropriate funding being secured.
TfL continues to work with stakeholders and developers to explore options for funding further work at other locations across its network, as well as to ensure safeguarding is in place while these long-term funding options are identified.
TfL has recently launched a consultation that asks people who rely on step-free access how step-free stations should be prioritised in the future. The consultation is open until 10 February 2022, and can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/tube-step-free-access.

Step-Free Access at Osterley Station

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide an update on progress towards achieving full step-free access at Osterley Station.

The Mayor: Osterley station became step-free in October 2021. Manual Boarding Ramps are available for customers who require assistance with the gap between the train and the platform.

Summit of Building Remediation

Anne Clarke: The August 2021 Building Safety Programme Monthly Data Release says, “London has a large number of buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations so Ministerial-led London Summits have been convened with the Mayor and key local authorities and the London Fire Brigade to agree an action plan for accelerating the remediation of buildings”. Please provide details on the summits and publish a copy of the action plan.

The Mayor: Two Ministerial-led London Summits were held on 3 September 2020 and 15 October 2020, to discuss how to accelerate the remediation of unsafe buildings in London, at which the Government, the GLA, boroughs and the LFB agreed to work together to support this acceleration.
While there is no single written action plan, since the summits there has been ongoing and regular engagement between all parties to work on accelerating cladding remediation. Those involved in the summits agreed to continue with a case conferencing approach for complex projects. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) now meet with boroughs which have significant numbers of buildings with ACM cladding in their areas, to agree proactive approaches where appropriate.
Further to this, I have written to building owners urging them to make quicker progress on remediation projects. My Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copley has attended meetings alongside the Building Safety Minister, Lord Greenhalgh, to bring pressure to bear on individual building owners who have been too slow to remove and replace dangerous cladding.

Air Quality Monitoring (2)

Tony Devenish: Why has TfL proactively shut off their roadside air quality monitoring next to Euston Road?

The Mayor: The Euston Road monitoring site is managed by the London Borough of Camden and the monitoring station is still in operation. Data from this monitoring station is publicly available online here: https://www.airqualityengland.co.uk/site/latest?site_id=CD009.

Tower Bridge flooding

Caroline Russell: What progress has been made by Transport for London (TfL) on the feasibility and design work for the installation of permanent hostile vehicle mitigation on the pavements away from existing gullies on Tower Bridge? Is TfL working with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on this?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is progressing work onpermanent hostile vehicle mitigation solutions on Tower Bridge. The project is currently in concept design and a single preferred option has been selected. TfL worked with the Metropolitan Police Service in completing a Threat and Vulnerability Assessment for the bridge, which helped inform the preferred design.
TfL is committed to funding 100 per cent of costs until the end of concept design and up to a 50 per cent funding contribution for detailed design and build, subject to the outcome of the current financing discussions with the Department of Transport (DfT). Build is therefore uncertain until funding has been agreed with the DfT and with the bridge owner for the other 50 per cent of costs.Negotiations to agree this funding are being progressed with key stakeholders.

COVID funding to London

Joanne McCartney: Can you please list the COVID revenue grant funding from the Government to each London Council to date (excluding business grants)?

The Mayor: Councils in London have received several different grants from central government to support the response to Covid-19.
In 2020-21, London boroughs and the City of London received in total £804.6 million of additional non-ringfenced funding for Covid, in three tranches. This funding represented the main element of support received by local government from central government.
In addition, there were other grants paid to local government for specific responsibilities including ’test and trace’, adult social care and welfare support. For the London boroughs and City of London, these grants totalled £1.563 billion in 2020-21.
In 2021-22 councils in London have received further grants relating to Covid support, which amount to £523.4 million in total.
A summary table is provided separately and a full breakdown of the revenue grants allocated to all local authorities is available on the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ website in the ‘COVID-19 local authority funding summary table’ at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-emergency-funding-for-local-government.

The Mayor: MQ 2021 4686 appendix.pdf

Impact of Universal credit on homelessness

Joanne McCartney: What impact do you think the Universal Credit cut will have on homelessness in London?

The Mayor: The uplift formed part of standard allowances, rather than the housing cost element of Universal Credit. But we know that many of the one in four Londoners who depend on the benefits system for help with housing costs do not have their rent met in full by the housing cost component of UC and need to make up a shortfall through other income. This is due to inadequate Local Housing Allowance rates, the Benefit Cap and the Bedroom Tax. Now £20 a week worse off, and amid a cost of living crisis, many will inevitably struggle even more to cover these shortfalls.

Homelessness in Haringey

Joanne McCartney: The Evening Standard reports (Rough sleeping soars in London by 65% in past year | Evening Standard) that rough sleeping in Haringey has increased by 160% to 168 people in the last year. What has been the number of rough sleepers in Haringey over the last 4 years, and what more can you do to help people living on the streets?

The Mayor: This article references government statistics on people who approached their local authority for assistance under the homelessness relief duty and were sleeping rough. This data was first published for 2019/20, when 64 rough sleepers approached Haringey Council.
Other measures of rough sleeping with data for the last four years show the position in Haringey as follows:
Since 2016, my rough sleeping services have helped 11,000 people off the streets. I am currently remodelling my No Second Night Out service to ensure that new rough sleepers receive help as swiftly and effectively as possible in a COVID-safe environment. In the new year, I will be launching three new specialist services for migrants who are sleeping rough in London.

No Net Loss of Industrial Land

Sakina Sheikh: What impact are you expecting as a result of the former Secretary of State’s decision to remove the No Net Loss of industrial land policy from the 2021 London Plan?

The Mayor: While I was disappointed by the former Secretary of State’s decision to amend the London Plan, it still provides a robust framework both for delivering the housing that Londoners need as well as ensuring the space for employment and strategic uses (e.g. waste) that our city needs to function and thrive. In line with London Plan policy E4, I still expect boroughs to plan to ensure there is a sufficient supply of land and premises to meet current and future industrial demand across London, in line with local and strategic evidence.

Serious Collision Investigation Unit (1)

Caroline Russell: How many collisions resulting in fatalities or serious injuries did the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Serious Collision Investigation Unit attend and investigate in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020? Could you break this down by the number of collisions that the Serious Collision Investigation Unit attended and the modes of travel involved in each incident? How many of these were serious collisions, and of those how many were passed to the MPS Central Collision Unit?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation. It should be noted that the MPS cannot determine how many collisions were passed to the MPS Central Collision Unit without reading individual records.

The Mayor: MQ 2021_ 4431 RTCs (1).xlsx

Step-Free Access at Boston Manor Station

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide an update on progress towards achieving full step-free access at Boston Manor Station.

The Mayor: Boston Manor station was selected for the current step-free access programme.
Following the huge impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Transport for London’s (TfL) finances and the need for a long-term funding agreement from the Government, TfL has had to reassess the scope of a number of programmes, including accessibility. Boston Manor is one of the stations for which work was paused following the impact of the pandemic, and TfL currently does not have the funding to restart work at this station.
TfL’s current plans will see around 34 per cent of the network made step-free by the end of 2022, with upgraded stations including Harrow-on-the-Hill, Sudbury Hill, Knightsbridge and Moorgate. Additional step-free schemes being explored beyond 2022 are subject to appropriate funding being secured.
TfL continues to work with stakeholders and developers to explore options for funding accessibility work across its network, as well as to ensure safeguarding is in place while these long-term funding options are identified.
TfL has recently launched a consultation that asks people who rely on step-free access how step-free stations should be prioritised in the future. The consultation is open until 10 February 2022, and can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/tube-step-free-access.

Step-Free Access at Gunnersbury Station

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide an update on progress towards achieving full step-free access at Gunnersbury Station.

The Mayor: Gunnersbury station is owned by Network Rail but operated by Transport for London (TfL). TfL is working closely with Network Rail and the Local Authority on the future of the station, but no agreements or plans have yet been made.

Estate Regeneration Ballots

Sakina Sheikh: Further to MQ 2021/3253, can you provide a list of successful Estate Regeneration Ballots up to September 2021, including the ones where the GLA has not been formally notified?

The Mayor: I publish a list of estate regeneration ballots in which residents have voted in favour of regeneration plans at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-land/increasing-housing-supply/estate-regeneration-data, along with other information on the operation of my resident ballot requirement.
For clarity, this list only includes ballots with a positive result where the GLA has received a completed Resident Ballot Compliance Checklist from the housing provider. This ensures the list only includes ballots that both the provider and independent body have confirmed were held in line with the requirements set out in my funding condition. Also, the GLA may not be notified of positive ballot results prior to this stage.

Industrial Land and Permitted Development Rights

Sakina Sheikh: Are you concerned about the potential impact that Permitted Development Rights could have on the amount of industrial land? Are these areas of London adequate locations for housing?

The Mayor: Yes, I am concerned that Permitted Development Rights can erode the provision of industrial land. To mitigate the potential impact, we have issued evidence to support the London boroughs to introduce Article 4 Directions that would require the submission of a planning application for the change of use from Class E (which includes light industrial use) to residential. To date, 13 boroughs have published notification of their intention to introduce such Article 4 Directions. In addition, through my conformity role in reviewing London planning authorities’ Local Plans, I aim to ensure boroughs plan to provide land and premises in order to meet London’s industrial demand.
Many of London’s reserves of industrial land are not in sustainable locations for housing - lacking good access to public transport and local services or adjacent to major roads and subject to noise and poor air quality. A proper plan-led process is required to ensure the necessary infrastructure and conditions to support good quality housing and place-making. Furthermore, the provision of housing through permitted development does not allow boroughs to secure affordable housing nor does it enable them to secure either the supporting physical and social infrastructure directly, or a financial contribution towards it.

Step-Free Access at Stamford Brook

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide an update on progress towards achieving full step-free access at Stamford Brook Station.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not currently have plans to install step-free access at this station.
Around 34 per cent of the Tube network will be step-free by the end of 2022, with upgraded stations including Harrow-on-the-Hill, Sudbury Hill, Knightsbridge and Moorgate. Additional step-free schemes being explored beyond 2022 are subject to appropriate funding being secured.
TfL continues to work with stakeholders and developers to explore options for funding further work at other locations across its network, as well as to ensure safeguarding is in place while these long-term funding options are identified.
TfL has recently launched a consultation that asks people who rely on step-free access how step-free stations should be prioritised in the future. The consultation is open until 10 February 2022 and can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/tube-step-free-access.

Review of Opportunity Areas

Sakina Sheikh: Do you plan to review the current Opportunity Areas in London? If so, what will be the scope and criteria used in such a review?

The Mayor: I have no immediate plans to review Opportunity Areas. The policy on Opportunities Areas (OAs) in London is contained in my London Plan, published in March 2021 and I regard it as up to date. GLA officers are currently preparing an Opportunity Area Planning Framework for the Royal Docks and Beckton Riverside, in collaboration with local partners. The GLA and TfL also work with boroughs on local planning policies for OAs in their areas.
GLA officers are updating the webpages for Opportunity Areas to provide information and data on each area, which should help provide a clear picture on the stage different OAs are at and progress made. This should be available to view by the end of the year.

Step-Free Access at Chiswick Park Station

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide an update on progress towards achieving full step-free access at Chiswick Park Station.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not currently have plans to install step-free access at this station.
Around 34 per cent of the Tube network will be step-free by the end of 2022, with upgraded stations including Harrow-on-the-Hill, Sudbury Hill, Knightsbridge and Moorgate.
Additional step-free schemes being explored beyond 2022 are subject to appropriate funding being secured.
TfLcontinues to work with stakeholders and developers to explore options for funding further work at other locations across its network, as well as to ensure safeguarding is in place while these long-term funding options are identified.
TfL has recently launched a consultation that asks people who rely on step-free access how step-free stations should be prioritised in the future. The consultation is open until 10 February 2022, and can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/tube-step-free-access.

Step-Free Access at Turnham Green Station

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide an update on progress towards achieving full step-free access at Turnham Green Station.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not currently have plans to install step-free access at this station.
Around 34 per cent of the Tube network will be step-free by the end of 2022, with upgraded stations including Harrow-on-the-Hill, Sudbury Hill, Knightsbridge and Moorgate. Additional step-free schemes being explored beyond 2022 are subject to appropriate funding being secured.
TfL continues to work with stakeholders and developers to explore options for funding further work at other locations across its network, as well as to ensure safeguarding is in place while these long-term funding options are identified.
TfL has recently launched a consultation that asks people who rely on step-free access how step-free stations should be prioritised in the future. The consultation is open until 10 February 2022, and can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/tube-step-free-access.